By Gillian Graham

Staff Writer

A Texas man was sentenced to 29 years in jail more than a year after he shot his girlfriend and left her on the side of Cascade Road in Saco.

Justice Paul Fritzsche sentenced 28-year-old Geoffrey Damond Reese to 29 years in jail for elevated aggravated assault for shooting Tanya Garza on May 4, 2008. Reese also received concurrent sentences of 10 years for aggravated assault with a firearm and five years for a felon in possession of a firearm charge. He was found guilty following a two-week jury trial last month.

In an appeal filed July 8, Reese said the superior court erred in imposing the sentence.

Reese and Garza were staying at the Sea Breeze Motel in Old Orchard Beach when the shooting occurred. The couple, who began dating in 2007, moved to Maine in January 2008 when Garza obtained a three-month contract as a nurse at a Lewiston hospital. They stayed in South Paris for two months before she left the job and they were evicted from their apartment.

Prosecutors described the couple’s relationship as volatile and controlling. Reese fired a gun in Garza’s direction in South Paris and told her he would bury her with a shovel he purchased, according to Assistant District Attorney Justina McGettigan.

On the evening of May 3, 2008, Reese and Garza argued about the future of their relationship and left their hotel room to go to a convenience store, according to court records. As they continued to argue in the car, Reese pulled over on the side of Cascade Road about a mile from the hotel. Evidence showed Reese fired his gun one time in the car, then eight more times as Garza ran away in the dark. She was hit twice and Reese left the scene immediately without checking on her condition, according to prosecutors. 

McGettigan said Garza only survived the shooting because Durward Hale was driving on Cascade Road around 3:45 a.m., saw her lying on the side of the road and called emergency crews. Garza was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where she hospitalized for two and a half weeks before retuning to Texas.

During Reese’s trial, Garza told the court he shot her and left her on the side of the road “to die like a dog.” She asked Fritzsche to impose the maximum sentence possible.

McGettigan said Reese is still a danger and is “fixated” on Garza. She described Garza, who returned to Maine from Texas for the trial, as “very brave” for facing Reese in court. While Garza has healed from her physical wounds, psychological scars from the altercation remain, she said. 

McGettigan asked Fritzsche to hand down the maximum sentence allowed by law because of the circumstances of this crime, lack of remorse and his “lengthy” criminal record in Texas. She said despite a strong family support system, Reese had been in trouble repeatedly since he was a juvenile. His previous convictions in Texas include theft in 1999, felony forgery in 2000, robbery in 2001, possession of marijuana in 2005, indecent exposure in 2005 and unlawful carrying of a firearm in 2007.

Based on a letter Reese submitted to the court prior to sentencing, McGettigan said the state is concerned he has “serious psychological issues” that need to be addressed through counseling.

Defense attorney Heather Gonzales argued Reese should serve sentences concurrently, rather than consecutively as McGettigan requested. While recognizing the severity of Garza’s injuries, Gonzales said Reese did not shoot her point blank and did not chase or torture Garza. 

Gonzales said a basic sentence of 18 years would be appropriate because Reese does not have a history of domestic violence. She also said he has an “abundance” of support from his family in Texas.

“He was a model student growing up, he was a star athlete who fell into the wrong crowd after school,” she said. “The actions in this case are out of character for who he is fundamentally. He’s motivated to change and has the support to do so.”

Reese spoke briefly during the hearing, apologizing to everyone involved and characterizing the crime as an “unfortunate circumstance.” He said he loved Garza deeply and said shooting her was a “bad mistake.”

“I look forward to the opportunity to return to my home as a functional member of society,” he said.

Reese’s mother, Anna Hendricks, said she cannot provide what her son needs from her while he is in Maine and noted he has a strong support system in Texas. She said her son is capable of being a “model human being.” 

Before announcing the sentence, Fritzsche said he recognized the “substantial support” Reese has from his parents, but still did something “terribly, terribly wrong.” He said the defendant has a severe psychological problem, citing a letter Reese submitted to the court saying he chose a jury trial so he could see Garza again. 

“In my judgment there was a lack of empathy, a lack of concern for Ms. Garza,” Fritzsche said. “What happened to her was not deserved. She, like the rest of us, has flaws, but none of those flaws deserve for her to be shot like a dog on the side of the road.”

Fritzsche told Reese he feels bad for his family in Texas because they are so far away. He said he did not impose the maximum 30-year sentence because of the support of Reese’s family. 

“You and your family will have to separated for a long time. That will be incredibly difficult for everyone,” he said. “It is most unfortunate this occurred. The sentence had to be what it is because of the horribleness of the crime.”