A Valparaiso resident was in custody at the Porter County Jail today facing a preliminary charge of murder after Valparaiso Police said that he shot his roommate to death on Friday.

Charged with murder was Edward Ibarra, 21, of 308 Morgan Blvd., police said.

According to police, at 11:47 p.m. officers were dispatched to Ibarra’s residence in response to a report of a male subject’s being shot. On their arrival, police said, officers found a man—subsequently identified by Porter County Coroner Vicki Deppe as Juan Miguel Garcia, 33—lying outside at the rear of the residence. Police said that he had been shot multiple times.

Garcia subsequently died at Porter Valparaiso Hospital Campus.

Police said that Ibarra shot Garcia, then fled the residence. Ibarra was taken into custody several hours later and admitted shooting Garcia during an argument, police said.

Deppe told the Chesterton Tribune today that an autopsy was scheduled for today in South Bend.

Assisting Valparaiso Police in its investigation was the Porter County Sheriff’s Police.

Posted 11/2/2009