Adam Garcia charged in fatal Edina bus stop stabbing of Chris Lundegaard
EDINA, Minn. — Authorities have charged a Minneapolis man with murder, alleging he fatally stabbed another man at a bus stop in Edina last week.
Adam Garcia, 32, faces one count of second-degree murder in connection with the killing of 62-year-old Chris Lundegaard, according to court documents filed in Hennepin County.
Lundegaard was a beloved brother, son and friend, and those who love him remember him for his humor, love of movies and ability to really listen to people, according to his family.
"I'm learning more about him because of this in a way, how impactful he was on people who knew him," his father Bob Lundegaard said in an interview Tuesday.
Edina police officers were at the Cub Foods on York Avenue when the stabbing occurred outside, according to a criminal complaint. They went to the bus stop to investigate and found Lundegaard "bleeding from multiple stab wounds," the complaint states. Officers attempted to save his life before he was taken to a hospital, where he later died. A medical examiner identified five stab wounds, two to Lundegaard's chest.
Officers found the suspect, identified as Garcia, at the scene and detained him while they reviewed surveillance video and spoke to witnesses.
The video showed "a confrontation" between Garcia and Lundegaard at the bus stop, the complaint states. Lundegaard tried multiple times to get away from Garcia, but Garcia allegedly would not leave Lundegaard alone. At one point, according to the complaint, there was a "scuffle" between the two that ended with Lundegaard "knocked to the ground."
Authorities allege Garcia left the scene after the stabbing and threw his knife in a sewer grate. Investigators later recovered the knife.
Garcia is in custody and the charge he faces carries a maximum sentence of 40 years.
Lundegaard's family said he was picking up supplies for the holidays when the stabbing occurred and said they are still processing what happened. They spoke candidly of his struggles and how much he had changed for the better in the last several years. He was sober for 10 years and a leader in his AA group.
"He was rebuilding relationships, beginning to explore more of the world, and had so many possibilities, and all of that was taken away. This will never not hurt," the family said in a statement to WCCO.
In a brief interview late Tuesday, Bob Lundegaard said his son was helping others in recovery.
"His brother and sister attended the AA meeting he always attended without fail on Saturday in part to thank them for what they had done for him. And they spent most of the time talking about what he had done for them," he said.
Court records show Garcia has a criminal record that includes several convictions over the past four years for burglary, assault, trespassing and property damage. He was also civilly committed to a state facility for mental health and substance abuse issues, according to the filings.
