ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND — A Maryland man who strangled his ex-girlfriend during a heated argument over a music playlist, then dumped her body off a bridge before traveling to celebrate New Year’s Eve, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for first-degree murder.
Francisco Lara-Garcia, 33, of Rockville, pleaded guilty to the killing of 20-year-old Keylin Chavez Dominguez in March, nearly two years after the brutal crime took place. While he was sentenced to life in prison, all but 40 years of the term were suspended.
A Jealous Rage Turns Deadly
The couple began dating in Honduras in 2021 and later moved together to Rockville, Maryland. Even after their romantic relationship ended, they continued living in the same apartment. Prosecutors said Lara-Garcia grew increasingly jealous after Chavez Dominguez began seeing someone new in August 2022.
On the night of December 30, 2022, an argument erupted in their shared apartment, reportedly over a music playlist. According to court documents, Lara-Garcia became enraged, punched Chavez Dominguez, knocked her to the floor, and continued striking her head against the ground. He ultimately strangled her with his bare hands.
Evidence presented in court included disturbing claims from a roommate, who recalled an earlier incident where Chavez Dominguez had discovered a photo of herself with Lara-Garcia that had sewing needles stabbed into it.
Body Dumped Before New Year’s Celebration
After killing Chavez Dominguez, Lara-Garcia placed her body in trash bags and loaded them into his vehicle. He drove to the Intercounty Connector (ICC) overpass in Silver Spring, Maryland, and threw her remains into the wooded area of Upper Paint Branch Stream Valley Park. He then continued his journey to Philadelphia to attend New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Chavez Dominguez’s new boyfriend reported her missing after she failed to reach out on December 31. On January 2, Lara-Garcia filed a missing person report at the urging of her family. However, investigators quickly found inconsistencies in his statements.
Arrest and Conviction
Nearly a month later, on January 28, 2023, a man walking his dog discovered her body beneath the ICC bridge. An autopsy confirmed that she had died from manual strangulation and blunt force trauma.
After learning that her body had been found, Lara-Garcia fled Maryland. A nationwide manhunt was launched, and the U.S. Marshals apprehended him on February 1, 2023, in Kirkwood, Missouri.
Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said Lara-Garcia “lied to police and Chavez Dominguez’s loved ones for nearly a month while they desperately kept hope alive.”
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