SAN JOSE, Calif. — Ray Anthony Garcia, a 29-year-old man from San Jose, has been charged with the murder of his ex-fiancée, 33-year-old Joanna Pinedo Gandara. Police found Pinedo’s body in her Thelma Way home on December 2, 2023, after she failed to respond to text messages, prompting her sister to visit. An autopsy revealed that Pinedo died from “sharp force injuries” to her neck.

Garcia, who shared a young son with Pinedo, had already been charged with sexually abusing one of her other children before being charged with murder. According to a police report, a family member of Pinedo stated that Garcia and the victim lived together up to a month before her death and described their relationship as marked by “psychological abuse.”

Initially considered a person of interest, Garcia was arrested and jailed after detectives were told that he sexually assaulted one of Pinedo’s children on Halloween. Police later definitively linked Garcia to the homicide.

Pinedo’s sister organized a GoFundMe page to cover funeral expenses and support her children, describing her as “a best friend to her children” and “the rock of the family.” The page emphasizes the impact of Pinedo’s unexpected loss on her children and family.

Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the San Jose Police Department.