Saucier man cleared of wrongdoing in shooting death of his toddler, roommate
A Saucier man has been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing for accidentally shooting to death his toddler when he shot and killed a man in self defense.
Billy Jack Roberts, 35, was released from the Harrison County jail Monday after a grand jury issued its ruling.
Roberts had been in jail on charges of manslaughter in the Feb. 9, 2018, shooting death of his 2-year-old son, Chance, and a charge of murder in the death of his roommate, David Garcia.
Garcia had dropped off his infant girl at the Riceville Road home the two men shared with their girlfriends before he and Roberts got into an argument, a family member has said.
Roberts said he shot and killed Garcia in self defense after Garcia attacked him.
Roberts fired a a total of 10 shots.
Three shots hit Garcia in the hand and a fourth shot went through Garcia’s abdomen and hit the toddler.
Roberts said he didn’t realize his son had been shot until after he shot Garcia six more times to ensure he was dead.
The girlfriends of the two men were at the home at the time of the killings.
Roberts told authorities he first tried to restrain the 20-year-old Garcia several times to calm him down, but said Garcia continued to attack him, records said.
Roberts tried to get away from Garcia when he went into a bedroom with his son and locked the door.
Garcia, he said, then started banging on the door and threatened to kill Roberts and his son.
The shootings happened after Garcia broke into the room through a bathroom wall.
That’s when Roberts first fired several shots at Garcia and the fourth round hit Roberts’ son.
When Harrison County authorities got to the home, Garcia and the toddler were already dead.
The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
