PHIPPSBURG, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- More details are coming out about the man killed in Portland first homicide of the year on Monday.
Portland Police has said they found 35-year-old Bryan Garcia slumped over in the front seat of his car in Portland's West End.
They say he had been shot.
Garcia had the lengthy criminal record in Maine… but as NEWS CENTER learned today, he also had a family.
Moira and Connor Toothaker say that they were Brian Garcia's Maine family.
They say he was from California, but his dad's military career brought him to Maine in high school, and that he stayed ever since.
They even say he called their parents Mom and Dad and spent every holiday with them - and that experiencing the shock of his death in such a public spotlight has been incredibly difficult.
"I didn't really believe it," said Moira. "I just cried."
She and Connor say they are shocked - and have no idea who might have done this.
They're bothered that no suspect has been arrested.
"No one should get away with murder," said Connor.
Public records show that Bryan Garcia - known as Kage to his friends and family - had a lengthy criminal record...involving a minor drug charge & possession of a firearm by a felon.
The charge that sparked online outrage is a conviction from over 10 years ago on sexual abuse of a minor.
Garcia was a lifetime registered sex offender.
"It's not like he was in trouble for abusing a child. That's not what it was," said Moira. "He dated someone that was younger than him and unfortunately her parents didn't like that."
Court records confirm this - in 2005, Garcia and his then girlfriend admitted to a sexual relationship. He was 24, and she was 14.
His Maine family - Connor and Moira - say that he spent the last 10 years living his best life.
"Just know that his records crushed him," said Connor. "That's not who he was."
Connor and Moira both have children and say that Garcia was amazing with their kids.
They are still in shock and say they don't know how to move on.
"When someone is just so amazing it's hard to think of certain things to say about them… Even when I talk about in my heart just…" said Moira, struggling to fight back tears.
Connor says that despite the online negativity, "He was loved. He definitely was loved. For all the negativity that is against him right now, there is 10 times more love."
Connor and Moira say that they truly have no idea as to what happened and that Garcia didn't ever tell them he felt like he was in danger, which is why his death was such a shock.