Victim, 18, remembered fondly by family, friends
Garrett Berki, a Mission Beach resident and graduate of La Jolla High School, was shot and killed in a Craigslist transaction gone wrong on May 11. According to police, the 18-year-old Mesa College student and his girlfriend, Alejandra Fouda, answered an advertisement on Craigslist for a $600 computer in the 2800 block of Casey Street in Paradise Hills. Berki and Fouda were reportedly met by three 17-year-old males — identified as Rashon Abernathy, Seandell Jones and Shaquille Jordan—who allegedly robbed the couple of their cash and cell phones at gunpoint, then fled the residence in a green Honda Accord. Police reports indicate the couple followed the Honda in their own vehicle in an attempt to get the Honda’s license plate number. The pursuit ended in a cul-de-sac on Artemia Way, where one of the teenagers in the Honda allegedly shot through the front windshield of Berki’s vehicle, striking him in the chest. The San Diego Police Department responded with ground, air and canine units to reports of vehicles driving quickly, followed by the sound of gunshots. Police pursued the Honda in the 3000 block of Fleming Way, where the suspects crashed their vehicle and fled the scene on foot. All three suspects were caught about one block away from the abandoned vehicle. Berki was transported to Mercy Hospital in Hillcrest where he died from a single gunshot wound at 11:13 p.m. on May 11. “I hope that Garrett has touched all of your lives,” said Berki’s mother, Connie, during a candle-lit gathering at Mission Beach on May 13. From accounts, it appears Berki has. Friends described Berki as a fearless, loyal friend whose charm and positive spirit transcended to others. He was described by one former La Jolla High School classmate who asked not to be identified as “someone to rely on in any given situation.” Another long-time friend and classmate described him as “full of life and always determined to reach his goals” and “an amazing person to be around all the time.” Abernathy, Jones and Jordan were arraigned May 13 and pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, armed robbery and shooting into an occupied vehicle. The suspects are being held at Juvenile Hall on $5 million bail. Prosecutors said the trio will be tried as adults at an undetermined date and, if convicted, could face 50 years to life in prison. According to La Mesa Police Department reports last year, an eerily similar case involved the theft of iPad tablets from several Craigslist users. Although none of the victims were physically hurt, a La Mesa resident was convicted of grand theft and robbery after agreeing to meet sellers of Craigslist items in residential locations. Lt. Kevin Rooney of the San Diego Police Department’s Homicide Unit advised that when using websites like Craigslist, “Err on the side of caution — meet in the daytime and in a public place.It’s hard to know what a stranger’s motives are. You never know whether they are good or bad.” A memorial service was held for Berki at El Camino Memorial Sorrento Valley Chapel on Wednesday, May 18.