Full Notification

Suspicious death leads to arrest for Murder.

On July 3, 2018, at 9:40pm, Morgan Hill Police Officers were dispatched to the 15000 block of Concord Circle for a report of an unconscious male on the sidewalk. Officers and paramedics arrived on scene moments later and pronounced the victim, Curtis Stephen Stapleton, 27, of Sunnyvale, CA deceased.

The Santa Clara County Office of the Medical Examiner-Coroner was notified of the death and responded to the scene. Morgan Hill Police Detectives and the Medical Examiner determined the death was suspicious and began an investigation.

The investigation determined that Martin Mason Garcia, 30, of Watsonville, CA was the last person to be with Curtis Stapleton before his death and was involved in a physical altercation with him before police were notified. The two men were co-workers of a nearby business.

During the three-month investigation, Morgan Hill Police Detectives gathered enough evidence to arrest Martin Mason Garcia for the death of Curtis Stapleton. A six-million-dollar warrant was issued for the arrest of Garcia and he was arrested in Watsonville on October 02, 2018 and later booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on murder charges.

Anyone that may have additional information related to this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Price at (408) 779-2101 or the anonymous tip line 408.947-STOP (7867).