Gilroy
– David Vincent Reyes confessed to Gilroy police last week that
he killed his girlfriend, Franca Barsi, in a fit of anger following
an argument with the 38-year-old single mother, according to
documents released during his Monday arraignment.
Gilroy – David Vincent Reyes confessed to Gilroy police last week that he killed his girlfriend, Franca Barsi, in a fit of anger following an argument with the 38-year-old single mother, according to documents released during his Monday arraignment.
A reference to the confession appears at the end of a two-page affidavit of probable cause, a basic statement of facts compiled by Gilroy police that allows county prosecutors to move forward in court with a murder charge against Reyes. Police investigators plan to release more detailed reports in coming days on the circumstances of Barsi’s death.
In the meantime, police refused to disclose additional specifics about the admission of guilt for fear of tainting the court process. Gilroy Police Sgt. Kurt Svardal would not say if the confession was recorded, but said that as a general practice police create an audio or video record of all interviews with felony suspects.
“Before we question anybody, everybody has their Miranda rights read to them,” Svardal added. “People can choose to speak. They can choose to seek legal counsel. They can choose to remain silent. Our job is to simply try and get all the facts to present to the district attorney’s office for prosecution.”
Reyes was interviewed by Gilroy Police Detective Mitch Madruga Thursday after surrendering to police following an hourlong car chase. Police issued an arrest warrant for Reyes after discovering Barsi’s body the previous morning in her condominium at 8155 Westwood Drive.
Three police officers responded to the scene of the crime.
“As they entered the victim’s bedroom they saw a blanket covering the top of the bed,” the affidavit stated. “(One officer) pulled the blanket back and the victim was found lying face down and was deceased.”
Family members and close friends believe Barsi died while trying to bring closure to a relationship they say was marked by cycles of abuse and reconciliation. Family members saw no signs of physical abuse but are convinced that Reyes exerted psychological control over Barsi. Her friend of 30 years, Belinda Pratt-Garcia, recounted stories about heated arguments in which Reyes would “throw things around her and break things around her.”
Friends and family repeatedly told Barsi to seek counseling and find a way out of the relationship. In July, she asked her stepfather to change the locks on her second-story apartment. They are uncertain if she gave Reyes a new set of keys.
The police affidavit said there was no sign of forced entry at the front door or any other entry point of the residence.
“She always saw the soft side of everyone,” Pratt-Garcia said. “I guess she thought that maybe he could change. She always gave everybody a second chance.”
Reyes, wearing shackles and gray prison garb, talked briefly with a pubic defender in court Monday afternoon before waiving the formal reading of charges. In addition to murder, he will face outstanding charges for armed robbery and failing to register as a sex offender. Reyes previously served prison time on charges of sexual assault. He will remain in custody without bail while he awaits an Oct. 20 court hearing on all charges.
Following the arraignment, Barsi’s sister Lauretta Avina thanked police and the media for bringing about the speedy capture of Reyes. Police spotted the 40-year-old driving Barsi’s white minivan past the east San Jose home of his ex-wife and four children. Officers had arrived at the scene to check on a citizen report of a red Honda Civic, another car registered to Barsi’s name and also reported as missing in news accounts.
“Everyone’s going to miss Franca,” her sister said. “It’s left such a hole in our hearts. I trust the legal system. I know that it will work and justice will be served.”
Barsi capped a standout high school career in 1986 by getting crowned Gilroy’s Garlic Queen, an award conferred on young women who show a spirit of leadership and volunteerism. Barsi cut short her education in film and television in Los Angeles and returned to Gilroy after her father became ill. In Gilroy, she met the eventual father of her 10-year-old son, Andrew Sanguindel-Barsi.
She met Reyes several years ago in the checkout line of PW Supermarket, where she worked as a cashier, according to Pratt-Garcia.
The last time anyone heard from Barsi was the afternoon of Sept. 12, when she called her son on his cell phone, told him she had to go to San Jose and that he should ask his grandmother for a ride home from school. Friends and family, who said Barsi devoted to her life to her son, believe she had decided to force a final break with Reyes.
Serdar Tumgoren, senior staff writer, covers City Hall for The Gilroy Dispatch. Reach him at 847-7109 or st*******@gi************.com.
