Man Who Killed for Beats By Dr. Dre Headphones Gets Life In Prison

Twenty-one-year-old Arkel Garcia has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the November 2013 murder of 21-year-old Christian Massey, a man with special needs whom Garcia shot in an attempt to steal his Beats By Dr. Dre headphones.

In February, Garcia was found guilty of murder in the second degree, robbery and carrying a firearm without a license. He was originally arrested in December 2013 at the age of 19, less than two weeks after he shot and killed Massey.

Massey had recently graduated from high school and was on his way home, wearing his $300 headphones, which he had just purchased on Black Friday. Arkel told Massey to give up the headphones, Massey refused, and Garcia pulled the trigger. He fled without the headphones.

But the bullet didn’t take Massey’s life immediately. In fact, he was able to give police information about the shooting before he died the same day at the University of Pennsylvania hospital.

Garcia now faces additional charges due to an incident at the courthouse in February, when he was originally to be sentenced. Before the judge could hand down the sentence, Garcia knocked over his chair and initiated a physical altercation with a deputy sheriff in the courtroom. He was charged with aggravated assault, disarming a law enforcement officer, reckless endangerment, and terroristic threats, among other offenses.

In 2012, Garcia pleaded guilty to drug possession with intent to distribute and was sentenced to up to 12 months probation.

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