December 1, 2021 - Modesto, CA - Two inmates already incarcerated on other separate and unrelated felony charges were recently re-booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on 
attempted murder charges.
On Monday, November 29, 2021, at about 9:35 P.M., Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department patrol deputies were dispatched to the county jail on reports of an inmate-on-inmate assault. The involved prisoners had already been separated, and the assault victim was taken by ambulance to a local area hospital for treatment of the severe injuries sustained during the attack.
Through the course of the patrol preliminary investigation, which included gathering all witness statements and reviewing video surveillance footage, 24-year-old Juan Manuel Garcia and 50-year-old Patrick Benjamin Solis were identified as the prime suspects. Adult detention deputies, charged with jail intelligence gathering, were also able to provide investigators with valuable information captured from telephonic audio recordings.
The victim had been in a seated position of a commonly shared recreation area when both Garcia and Solis cellmates approached to attack from behind. The severity of the victim’s injuries included deep lacerations to his shoulder, neck, and head.
Even though there was a general lack of cooperation from the person who was attacked, which can be common in custodial facilities for fear of further reprisal, deputies were able to establish enough probable cause to rebook Solis and Garcia on attempted murder charges. The investigation would not have been possible without the full cooperation of both operations and adult detention Sheriff’s Department personnel.
It is believed the weapon involved during the assault was a jailhouse-made shiv fastened from common hygienic products such as razors used for shaving. Staff makes every effort to routinely conduct jail cell searches and inspections to ensure facilities are free of weapons or other contraband; however, inmates become creative and use nefarious means for smuggling in certain items.
Both Solis and Garcia were already in-custody on separate and unrelated criminal charges to include evasion, carjacking, robbery, and murder. The confidential victim’s charges included homicide, robbery, and attempt robbery. The suspects now face the new attempted murder cases which they were re-booked on yesterday on November 30th. The case will now be referred to the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office for review and eventual prosecution.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. We again commend the efforts of all involved personnel on both operations and adult detention sides of the Sheriff’s Office team for working together in a collaborative way.
Source: Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department
