Life in prison for Pa. man convicted in headphone slaying case

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A man convicted in a west Philadelphia slaying over expensive headphones has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Arkel Garcia was sentenced today after a previously scheduled hearing that was halted when he and a deputy sheriff got into an altercation.

Jurors convicted Garcia in February in the November 2013 shooting death of Christian Massey, 21.

Massey told police before losing consciousness at a hospital that someone grabbed his new Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, which cost at least $200, and he was shot after trying to grab them back.

Prosecutors said Garcia told detectives eight days later that he and two men planned to rob Massey and he had no idea Massey would be killed.

Garcia’s lawyer has argued he had nothing to do with the crimes.