Married Couple Found Guilty for 2019 Fatal Road Rage Murder in Antioch

Martinez, Calif. – Yesterday, a Contra Costa County jury returned a guilty verdict against defendants Tearri Richard (26-year-old resident of Tulare, California) and Lakia Poles (26-year-old resident of Tulare, California) for the murder of Raul Garcia.

Richard faces a sentence of life without the possibility of parole and Poles faces 25 years to life.

On September 1, 2019, the victim Raul Garcia and the defendants got into a verbal altercation in in Pittsburg at a Chevron gas station after Poles’ car nearly hit the victim’s car. Poles, enraged at the victim, called her husband Richard to come to the scene. Richard proceeded to arrive at the scene, threatened to shoot and kill Garcia – he said he would “spray them all” and “we’re going to get you.”

Poles followed the victim’s car onto state Highway 4 eastbound as the victim desperately tried to elude her by driving aggressively back on to state Highway 4 westbound and then through city streets in Antioch. As the victim tried to flee from Poles, Poles was on the phone with her husband to keep him updated on their location. Richard in turn located the victim’s car and shot three bullets at Garcia’s vehicle on Putnam Avenue. One bullet struck Garcia in the back.

The case was investigated by the Antioch Police Department. Deputy District Attorney Aron DeFerrari prosecuted the case on behalf of the People. DDA DeFerrari is assigned to our Homicide Unit.

“We would like to thank the jurors who made sure justice was done in these difficult times,” stated DDA DeFerrari. “We would also like to commend the Antioch police department on an outstanding investigation, they went above and beyond in making sure Raul Garcia’s killers were brought to justice.”

Case information: People v. Tearri Richard and Lakia Poles, Docket Number 05-200114-7