A man and a woman have been arrested in Mexico in connection with the murder of Geoff Bernardi, a career technical education teacher in Clovis, California, police confirmed.
Antonio Garcia, 40, and Misty Gomez, 32, were arrested Wednesday by U.S. Marshals south of the border. Jail records show they were booked into Alameda County's Santa Rita Jail early Saturday morning. They are currently being extradited to Fresno County Jail.
Bernardi was attacked outside his apartment complex in Clovis on December 18. He died from his injuries two days later. At the time of the attack, Bernardi's girlfriend, Gomez, was reportedly the only witness, describing the attacker as wearing a black puffer jacket with a hoodie.
In January, detectives identified a person of interest, and authorities later determined the attack was not random. Investigators discovered that Gomez, who is married to Garcia, was Bernardi's girlfriend. According to Bernardi's mother, Erin Adams, Bernardi did not know Gomez was married.
Adams told reporters that Gomez was the one who called her the night of the attack to report Bernardi had been severely beaten. Gomez was present with the family at the hospital the following day. "She lay on his bed and wept and said, 'We have to find who did this to him.' And, you know, she was playing a game. She was watching our grief," Adams said.
Adams also stated that her family suspected Gomez's involvement within two days of the investigation. Bernardi's mother described Gomez as lacking a conscience and suggested she is a sociopath.
When Gomez fled the country, police said she took her two young children with her, who have been missing since April. Garcia and Gomez are each being held on $1 million bail.