Days After Woman Got Protective Order, Ex-Boyfriend Allegedly Came to Her Job and Killed Her in Parking Lot

Amber Jo Thomas.Photo:J. Gilbert Purse Funeral Home

J. Gilbert Purse Funeral Home

Amber Jo Thomas, 40, and a male acquaintance were walking to her car across the street from her workplace, the Linden Square Assisted Living Facility in Saline, on the morning of Aug. 3 when her ex-boyfriend, 58-year-old Barry Garza, allegedly ambushed her, police said, perMichigan Local,Fox 2 Detroit, andThe Saline Post.

Garza allegedly shot both Thomas and the 67-year-old man, according to apress releasefrom the Saline Police Department. Thomas died at a local hospital a short time later. The man was reported to be in stable condition, according toMichigan Local.

Garza had fled the scene in a Ford Focus and then crashed at S. Ann Arbor and Willis Roads, police said.

“The suspect did not comply with commands and the deputy deployed his taser, subsequently taking the suspect into custody,” the release states.

Garza was arraigned over the weekend on charges of murder, assault with intent to murder and felony firearm,police said.He’s being held on no bond. A judge entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf,The Saline Postreports.

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“I’m scared,” she reportedly wrote. “He has stated he was going to kill me several times.”

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

source: people.com