LANCASTER – A man ran down the street screaming after being shot with a bow and arrow outside a Lancaster home, and then his assailant went to the house next door and said, “This nig**r went in my house and I shot him,” according to testimony at a court hearing Friday.
The testimony came during a probable cause hearing, after which Garrett Taylor Adams was ordered to trial for murder with an allegation that he used a compound bow in the killing of Charles Briggs.
Sheriff’s detectives said Briggs, 27, was killed around 3:27 a.m. Aug. 23, 2014, after he tried to intervene in a boyfriend-girlfriend argument in the 43000 block of 27th Street West in Lancaster.
During the probable cause hearing for Garrett Adams, which started Thursday and ended Friday, five witnesses testified.
Garrett Adams’ next door neighbor, Margarita Quintero, testified that she woke up around 3:30 a.m. Aug. 23 to someone pounding on her door. She said it was a “really hyper” Garrett Adams, who “begged” her several times to call police and at some point used “the n-word.”
“He said, ‘This nig**r went in my house and I shot him,’” Quintero testified, when pressed to specify exactly what Garrett Adams told her.
Three witnesses testified about seeing Garrett Adams shoot Briggs with a bow and arrow – Garrett Adams’ girlfriend, Bernadette Marquez, his fraternal twin brother, Cameron Adams, and a bystander, Justin Kekauoha. All gave conflicting accounts of the sequence of events.
Bernadette Marquez said she and Garrett Adams had gotten into an argument inside his home in the hours before the incident. When questioned on specific details of that altercation, Marquez repeatedly said she couldn’t recall. When shown a transcript of statements she allegedly made during a prior recorded interview with detectives, Marquez said she didn’t remember telling detectives that Garrett Adams threw a table at her or that he slapped her, leaving her with a bruised lip.
She said Garrett Adams had been drinking that night, and he “didn’t seem like himself.”
During the early morning hours of Aug. 23, Cameron Adams came to the home with Charles Briggs, according to Marquez’s testimony. She said Cameron Adams was able to “diffuse the fight” between her and Garrett Adams, and she wasn’t sure why Briggs was there.
Marquez said she spoke with Briggs outside the home and he asked her if her boyfriend had hurt her. She said she could not recall how it started, but Charles Briggs and Garrett Adams ended up in a fight. Marquez testified that the fight “went on for a while” and moved from inside to outside the home, as Cameron Adams tried to “pull them off each other.”
She said the fight eventually ended with no winner, and Cameron Adams and Briggs were talking in the front yard when Garrett Adams came outside with a hunting bow and arrow. Marquez said Cameron Adams got in between the two men, but Garrett Adams told his twin brother to move out of the way.
Marquez said she saw Garrett Adams point the bow and arrow and shoot Charles Briggs.
Testifying Friday, Cameron Adams gave a different account of the sequence of events.
Cameron Adams said he and his friend, Charles Briggs, left a barbecue together to get some cigarettes from a 7-Eleven during the early morning hours of Aug. 23. After stopping at the store, Cameron Adams said he went to his brother’s house to pick him up, and he told Charles Briggs to wait in the car. Cameron Adams testified that Charles Briggs entered the home uninvited and “came after my brother.”
“He said, ‘Why you beating on your girl?’” Cameron Adams testified.
According to Cameron Adam’s testimony, Charles Briggs began fighting Garrett Adams and he put him on his back and began choking him.
“I thought my brother was about to be killed,” Cameron Adams testified.
Cameron Adams said he was struck in the face as he tried to pull Charles Briggs off his brother, and he, too, got into the fight.
The fight moved from inside to outside, and then Garrett Adams armed himself with a bow and arrow, according to Cameron Adams.
Cameron Adams said he stood between the two men and begged Charles Briggs to leave but “he was coming, like, violently towards Garrett.”
Cameron Adams testified that “the bow just, like, went off.”
“It almost struck me,” he said.
A bystander to the incident testified Friday and gave yet a different account of the sequence of events.
Justin Kekauoha testified that he was attending a party in a nearby backyard when he heard a commotion and went to see what was going on. Kekauoha said he was standing about 40 to 50 feet away, and he saw four individuals, whom he identified as two white guys, a black guy and a white female. The men were “yelling back and forth,” and one of the white males had a weapon while the other white male appeared to be trying to calm both men down, Kekauoha testified.
According to Kekauoha’s testimony, the white male pointed his weapon and the black male said, “Okay, I’m done,” and began walking backward.
The white male with the weapon looked like he was about to walk away, but then he shot the black male with the bow and arrow, according to Kekauoha’s testimony. Immediately after, the man with the bow and arrow said, “That’s what you get, homie,” Kekauoha testified.
Kekauoha said he pulled out his phone and began recording as the black man ran down the street screaming for help.
The cellphone recording was played during the preliminary hearing Thursday, and a man’s voice could be heard screaming.
The black male ran down 27th Street West toward K-8 screaming, “Help! Somebody, help me!’” Kekauoha testified.
Sgt. Kenneth Clark of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s Homicide Bureau testified that he attended the autopsy of Charles Briggs and spoke to the county coroner.
Briggs died from “penetrating wounds” and his death was ruled a homicide, Clark testified.
At the conclusion of the two-day court hearing, Garrett Adams was held to answer to one count of murder and multiple domestic violence charges related to his girlfriend, Bernadette Marquez.
He was remanded back to custody on $1 million bail. Garrett Adams is due back in court May 4 for a second arraignment.
Previous related stories:
Man pleads not guilty in Lancaster bow and arrow killing
Loved ones remember man slain with bow and arrow
Lancaster man charged with bow-and-arrow murder
Man killed in bow and arrow attack ID’d, suspect arrested
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Nsss says
This whole situation disgusts me! The fact that nobody came to Charles Aid that night is inhumane! You see a man crying for help and you do nothing?? You wanted the charges lowered on your brother?? You should have helped Charles then maybe this wouldn’t have been a “Murder case”. Everyone else commenting and blaming a deceased man for his own death are all idiots. He was trying to a help her out and look how she repays him? I guess she likes being beaten up and misses it since she’s defending him. Cameron is trying to make this seem like it was self defense by saying he feared for his brothers life, that too is very wrong because Charles would never hurt anybody. He did what was right! Praying for justice for the Briggs family….
jen says
Sadly no one knows what truley happened that morning or what took place inside that home
Mark says
And this why if you’re getting beat up by your boyfriend I’ll just walk on by. He’s your boyfriend, it’s your problem if he’s kicking your butt.
Charlotte says
at the end of the day I have lost a son. I said in court for today’s listen to just about everything that was said. I know God is just, and I am believing and trusting God that justice will prevail in this case.I am also thankful for the video tape of what actually happened the morning my son was murdered.
Mary says
Charlotte
If I were on the JURY, I would find that guy guilty. I am so terribly sorry this happened to your son and even though I have never met you, I want you to know that your son meant something to so many people and you must have done a good job raising him because he gave his life to protect a woman. I just wanted to let you know that I am so sorry for your pain. I don’t wish this upon any mother.
Ruth says
You can call 911 and videotape an incident at the same time using an app called ICE BlackBox. It’s free.
Tim. says
Last thing you want to do during a domestic dispute is invite yourself into someone’s home and then try to play “Dr. Phil”….it usually doesn’t end well. Case in point. When a couple is having a domestic dispute, it’s usually 99% of the time, not their first one and won’t be their last. You will almost always elicit a very strong reaction from a man when you enter his home and try to get involved in a domestic dispute between him and his wife. Briggs should have waited in the car and not tried to involve himself and play Casanova Psychologist.
Charles' Little Sister says
Tim, if reading was fundamental in your life, you’d see that the stories from Bernadette and Cameron are false. Briggs didn’t enter the house to play “Dr. Phil.” Regardless of how Charles attempted to intervene, he surrendered from the fight and was leaving. Don’t fix your fingers to share your small minded opinions on behalf of my brother ever.
Just_The_Facts says
Sorry for your loss, but Tim is right! If your brother would have minded his own business and waited in the car, he would still be alive. The worst call you can get if you’re a cop is a domestic violence call. It’s your worst-case scenario and could mean life or death. If a cop, who is armed and trained, is afraid of those types of scenarios, what makes you think a civilian is any better off? Especially if they haven’t been trained.
Gtfo says
So that makes it ok for Adams to kill? There is no winning ever. If the female would’ve been more hurt then people would be commenting why didn’t anyone help her or come to her aid. Someone attempted to do the right thing and tried to walk away from it but it’s his fault he got killed???
Tim says
It doesn’t make it OK to kill. Nobody said that. But don’t try to be a “hero” either! I’m sure Briggs had no knowledge, or very little, of this couple’s history. As I said, it probably wasn’t their first fight and it probably wouldn’t have been their last. Married couples and non-married couples fight. It’s normal. What changes the dynamic and makes a bad situation worse is when a third party (especially a male) enters the fray and tries to play “Casanova”. If the woman is an abusive situation, she can get out of it. There are tons of programs and resources for abused women. There are also women who love drama and love fighting with their husbands and boyfriends. If Charles thought that girl’s life was truly endangered then he should have called the cops himself, instead of inserting himself into a heated situation. Stepping into a man’s house and telling a man how to treat his girlfriend/wife, with no prior knowledge of the relationship, is a very stupid thing to do – precisely because it can end up the way it did!
Most men with a lick of sense know better than to involve themselves in a fight between a woman and her boyfriend/husband, unless it is their sister, daughter or mother. It’s just common sense and it’s too bad that Charles Briggs didn’t exercise it that night.
OG says
WOW!!! Don’t help a woman being beat? Mind your own business? Stay in the car if someone is beating someone who can’t defend themselves? He didn’t exercise “common sense” when going to the aid of a woman, so it’s his fault some woman beater shot him?
What scum live in this valley! All of you trying to blame this awesome young man for his own death are exactly what’s wrong with this valley!
I will never condemn someone who ties to help those who are being victimized by those with small d**ks, those who’s only way to feel like a man is to beat a woman! Again what scum!
Guess we can expect more excuses from the women beaters club of the AV! And I guess this shooter’s family believe beating on others is the way of the world. What a bunch of f**ked up losers!
Someone needs to make sure any and all kids are removed from the shooter’s family’s house, before they are also raised to believe that beating one’s woman is “personal” and nobody else’s business!
And, as always, the wrong person died! Guess the rest of you are just women beaters hoping someone like this brave man never step in to save your victims.
kara says
Very sorry for your loss. But this women was not being beat! Yes they got into an argument/fight. I’m not sure I understand why you are saying the testimonies are not true? All parties involved had been drinking including the guy that video taped it from 50 feet away.
Mary says
Unfortunately, you can’t involve yourself in DV matters anymore because again, you could end up being hurt by these morons who beat each other up constantly. However, I want to tell you that I am proud of your brother for trying his best to intervene. I am terribly sorry that he lost his life and in no way did he deserve to. I hardly think he was playing Dr. Phil. I believe that he just simply had a good heart and wanted to intervene to pull these two MORONS apart. Most men, which are far and in between anymore, would never do anything to help a woman from being beat by a beater. Your brother lost his life and I am sorry for that. Your mom raised a very good kid…can you please tell her this for me. Even though I have never met you, or your mom, I am deeply sorry for your pain. No one, no human, deserves to die the way your brother did. I hope justice is served and that the guy who did this to your brother will spend quite some time in jail. He is dangerous to women and society. Anyone who shoots an arrow through any human being is beyond mentally ill and needs life time hospitalization.
Yep says
Agrees with the comment above…. 9/10 times shes gonna make up with him next day anyway, or attack you if you kick his @$$ … Not worth the effort or trouble… Protect your family, mind you’re own business, life is a gift, if others want to ruin thiers so be it… Use yours wisely…
KayDee says
Tim, your comment is absolutely disgusting!!! The fact that you appear to be blaming Charles for not having “common sense” is reprehensible. Garrett could have had comment sense not to beat on his girl and then to murder a man in cold blood who came to her rescue. His brother could have had the common sense to call police when Garrett got into it with Charles. The girlfriend could have had the common sense to call police as well and to not stay in an abusive situation (pretty sure it’s not the first beating). The fact that you think only Charles didn’t exercise common sense is very telling about you. Or it could be that you are just a troll. Either way, you are disgusting!!
Jonesy says
Wow Tim… real nice. Look the other way, that’s your solution? Beating woman is ok if it’s in “a mans home”? He should have known better than to intervene? Do you honestly believe that? Is that how it works in your home? I guess it makes sense that you would defend a racist, woman beating, murderer. Evolve Tim, please. Trade in the wooden club and loincloth for a brain, there much more desirable these days.
TG says
sad this guy lost his life , drinking alcohol and a dispute is a prefect storm for a bad outcome , and it takes two to tangle , everyone has a opion in this case and only those who where there know what happened and then again they might not even remember the whole thing , I hope that these young people can learn a lesson from this , alcohol can ruin your life in less time then it took you to get drunk , I am confident that if alcohol was not in the mix we would not even be here and two life’s would have been saved
dont worry says
Garrett and Cameron are alcoholics I used to see them at the bar every night blackout drunk I wouldn’t believe a word either of them say specially the way Cameron leaves his buddy hanging and he dies And can’t defend himself in court he’s just trying to get his piece of [removed] brothers charges brought down
Tim says
Sadly you must be an alcoholic as well. If your brother was being beat up you would not defend him.
seriously says
Neither brother was beat up. Whether there was a fight between any or all of the parties that was finished. The victim was backing away hands up saying I’m leaving when garrett raised the bow and shot him. Completely unnecessary and done in cold blood. The victim wasn’t a threat and he definitely wasn’t a threat when attempting to leave the situation. It’s just an excuse to try and get away with murder. More evidence will come to light in the trial.
AVMOM says
WOW… Tim you must be a friend or family.. to defend him????
Ive seen it all says
This man lost his life because he thought a woman was in trouble. He tried to be a hero and stop an idiot who beats on women. The ensuing fight and shooting were just more cowardly acts by that same idiot. I doubt his intent was murder, more like, let me shoot him in the arm or leg. Ooopppsss! Lucky shot and now your life is over. You felt the need to shoot an unarmed man who was backing away!
The worst part of all of this, he went in that house to defend a woman who was being assaulted. And once again, we see domestic violence victims defending the man who was kicking her a** just prior to the shooting. Wonder who her next boyfriend will be?
disgusted says
I don’t think he ever went into that house. I think it’s the defence last ditch effort to make it look like an accident or self defence. Adams was an experienced hunter with that bow and his shot wasn’t “lucky” nor an accident. He shot a man backing away hands up saying “ok I’m leaving”. The shooting happened in cold blood.
Jonesy says
To both the Adams and Burnadette, your lies are transparent and your motives clear. Your conscious will forever remind you of the truth as it will eat at your soul. Hoping for a second degree verdict at a minimum.
iseethroughthelies says
Good I’m glad I’m not they only one who thought they sounded ridiculous. They should have charges brought against them for perjury. I however am hoping for a first degree murder verdict.
Tim says
Your motives are clear? What motive? Please do tell me since you seem to know it all.
wow says
Tim do we have to spell it out for you? Their motives for lying are to try and get garrett found non guilty. We’re you at the trial? I was and it was very obvious both were lying. FYI Bernadette already spilled her guts to the police about what happened. The 3 of them adams boys and bernadette planned on coming up with a story that they would tell the police it robbery or home invasion. If that doesn’t sound guilty I don’t know what does
IjS says
What really upset me was the fact that the Brother, Cameron is now trying to paint his friend in a bad light to protect his brother, “he thought his brother was about to be killed” WHAT A FRIEND, lying on a dead man. Garrett is a cold blooded murderer, beating his girlfriend and the killing someone who was only trying to help. If he has so many friends of all races why was he telling the neighbor he shot a N@&$@. Where was his remorse for this young mans life. Why should his parents have to forever endure the pain of loosing their son. “Okay, I’m done”
agirlunv says
Amen
Mary says
I think this is probably the most Discusting story all year. To shoot a human with an arrow is beyond mentally ill. If I were on the jury…I would have believed witness number three even without the video. BUT for goodness sakes….next time call 911 first…then video tape away. I didn’t know the victim but I am so sorry he had to endure death this way. I pray for his family and friends who had to hear that video of him screaming. His poor mom :_
My goodness people…can’t you at least pretend to be normal. To throw an arrow through a human is Discusting.
Repping for cdot says
What a distasteful article; although it was stated why would you refer to my deceased brother in this article as a [removed]? That was something that should have been left in the courtroom. Especially since we kept being told this was not racially motivated matter it was already a gut punch to hear such disgusting slurs. Then you all make reference to it multiple times in this article. My brother deserves more respect than this! You all have no respect for us as his family. We’ve asked the news paper several times to STOP referring to the Adams as Charles’s friends because they were the furthest thing from it! You all can’t even seem to comply with that simple of a request. Cameron set my brother up and all him & Bernadette did was lie through the entire trial, in our eyes they belong in jail too! I remember when this tragedy happened thinking “who would record such a thing” thank God he did though. It felt good to hear the truth, to hear that my brother was led into a situation and then turned on by people who didn’t even care about his life. The guy that shot the video was the only person who came to my brothers rescue and made sure he was getting the treatment he needed. Justin if you are reading this the Briggs family thanks you for your honestly and boldness, I can imagine it took a lot to testify; I don’t know what the prelim would have like had it not been for your testimony!
Marie thank you soooo much for that and for being my BROTHERS FRIEND, God knows if he had one real one with him that evening we may not be having this conversation…sadly nothing comes from shoulda woulda coulda. To the racist av times, please retract the multiple racial slurs and have some respect for the deceased and his family. All your doing is giving fuel to this racist city showing them that’s it’s ok to devalue “black lives”! This is why we haven’t been receptive to press being present in the courtroom because of articles like this. If your not willing to shed my brother in a positive light then I’m curious to know what your intent is behind covering this story.
Letlow says
You appear to be a member of the Brigg family, so first of all, my condolences on the loss of a great son, brother, etc. However, I think you are looking at the situation in the wrong way. I think it was absolutely necessary for the public to know that Garret Adams used a racial slur that night and for the slur to be reported accurately and not sugarcoated. It speaks to Garret’s frame of mind and thought process, and yes, it make HIM look like a racist because it is a racial slur. Who is telling you that this crime is not racially motivated? The detectives? How can they know? They were not there and they certainly were not in Garret’s mind to know what he thought of Charles when he shot him and why he felt comfortable referring to Charles in such a degrading way. It makes Garret look like a MONSTER, no one else! And that can only hurt his chances of getting out of this. The neighbor’s testimony was brought into the courtroom at phase 1, the prelim, because it is paramount to the case. Remember that. This is an ugly situation and the ugliness needs to be exposed. It should not be swept under the rug like so many others. It should be reported accurately.
CC says
Well said. I send my condolences to you and the family. May justice be served and peace be amongst the family.
karie says
Please tell me how how your brother was set up?
Marie says
Charles Briggs had many true friends of all races. To my understanding his family does not appreciate how the media keeps stating that he was friends with Cameron. Cameron was a aquaintence not a friend. A friend would have called 911 and from what I heard in court Cameron did not run to check on Charles after he was shot. All of the lies Thursday and Friday from Cameron and Bernadette. After all was said and done because of the video the truth was known.
Sad says
Justin, if you are reading this, why would you pull out your phone to do a video and not call 911? You just saw a man shot with a bow and arrow and he is screaming for someone to help him but your videotaping? Truly sad people’s priorities.
b says
I couldn’t agree with you more.
Erked says
‘SAD’ your a jerk!! You too ‘B’
It’s easy for you to say!! But would YOU have gotten involved?? I seriously doubt you would.
Agirlunv says
His video and testimony may be the key evidence in convicting the defendant. I applaud him for taking the video because we all know the cops more than likely wouldn’t have been there in time to save the victims life.
reply says
Maybe the cops wouldn’t have been there on time but how about the paramedics? You do know that when you dial 911 the dispatcher will alert the necessary emergency services.
This witness was hearing the victim screaming for help and the first thing he did was record the incident, most of us reading this are upset with his priorities, not that he did the recording.
Except one problem says
Even if he had called 911 the paramedics could not attend the victim until police secured the area because it had a weapon involved. So the paramedics would have sat around the corner until an “all clear” was given. Also good for you to video, just as someone else mentioned it may be the very evidence to convict. Put the racist a*shole away.
witness4 says
To clarify, since I was present when this occurred, those neighbors ALWAYS had loud ridiculous parties and were constantly belligerent and rowdy. I cannot count how many times we would run outside and see fights at that house. That night, when we heard the commotion, my friends and I ran outside to see the ensuing “fight” and we had NO IDEA what to expect and figured they were up to their normal shenanigans. At this point, Justin whipped out his phone to record the presumed fight, and the moment we saw a weapon being drawn from Adam, we had another friend call 911, and told him to keep filming. You can even hear our friend on the phone with the 911 operator in the background of the video. We had no idea what was going on, who was armed, who was not, who any of these people were and our primary concern was to protect our friends and to make sure that no one else was harmed. We called 911 immediately, and sadly, after the fact, there a million different ways I would’ve intervened, helped, and changed the outcome, however, hindsight is 20-20 and I will only say: “We did the best we could with the knowledge that we had at the time.” That event haunts us to this day and many a nights we have walked down to 27th and K-8 to pay our respects to a good man. R.I.P. Charles Briggs
Mary says
I agree!
What in the world is wrong with people anymore? If I were the guy that shot that video…I wouldn’t want to wake up in the morning. That guy did not deserve to die and then to die the way he did is horrible. You got some moron video-taping him with his phone while he pleaded for help. For God’s sake…his Poir mom who had to hear this.
Sad: I couldn’t agree more.
are you serious says
If it weren’t for that “moron” as you say that was videotaping the incident we wouldn’t really know the circumstances that surrounded the minutes before during and after the shooting. The “moron” deserves a medal for standing for justice and providing the police with the video/audio evidence and having the balls to testify against a man who oviously isn’t right in the head. Instead of criticizing him you should praise him for standing up and doing something good for the case.
Mary says
I would have praised him had he done what Charles had done. I am not praising any MAN for standing there to video tape such an incident. If I were on the jury and I had no videotape, I would still find the KILLER guilty. I don’t need a video tape to figure this case out.
Mary says
And the girl should be required to go to two years of residential LIVE IN DV shelter and learn some common sense. I don’t care how you guys spell it or lay it out…the morons who got everyone into this mess need to pay for it. They should both be required to pay for the funeral cost, and the guy needs to do life in jail, and the girls needs INTENSE DV classes at HER cost. No one, and I don’t care who they are, deserves to be killed this way. My goodness, who raised these people?
Erked says
Yeah sure Mary and if it was your son or a brother wouldn’t you want to know the truth?? Did you go to the trial? or were you at the scene? So do you really know what happened??
Take a good look around you how many people take videos of others committing a crimes?? It’s so easy for someone to say I would have done this first. Just like ‘SAD’ and ‘B’ would you ‘Mary’ have gotten involved?
AVMOM says
I have to totally agree with you Erked, I don’t believe that this person videorecording what was wrong in what he did. Seeing the state of mind this murderer was in he may have also been killed. The video will be used in court to hopefully convict this man and justice will be served. As for the girlfriend, maybe she liked getting her ass beat and the other brother was used to seeing this so didn’t intervene. Either way Briggs is not here to defend himself and he died at the hands of a woman beater.
Desiree says
He will have to live with that for the rest of his life. 911 first, always!