Burns man arrested on murder charge

A 49-year-old Burns man has been arrested on a murder charge in the violent death of another Burns man over the weekend, Harney County District Attorney Tim Colahan said Monday.

Thomas Reyes Garcia Jr., 49, was arrested early Saturday in the death of Eddie Ben Barela, 30, Colahan said.

Barela died early Saturday morning from a chest wound suffered in an incident that occurred around 1:15 a.m. in the 300 block of East Jefferson in Burns, the DA said.

Garcia was being held without bail at the Harney County Jail pending arraignment. An autopsy was scheduled Monday, Colahan said, declining to release more details about the nature of the killing until those results are in.

Burns police responded to the initial incident and is being assisted in the investigation by the Harney County Major Crime Team, which includes the Harney County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police and Hines Police Department, Colahan said.

Colahan said he has been district attorney in Harney County for about 25 years, said this is the first homicide in the area in seven or eight years.