Erik Eduardo Navarro, 26, remained sought after a 71-year-old woman was found badly injured inside her mountain community home.
CRESTLINE, Calif. — San Bernardino County investigators are searching for a 26-year-old Orange County man accused of attacking a 71-year-old woman with a metal baseball bat after she asked him to leave her Crestline home.
Erik Eduardo Navarro had been staying with the woman before the Aug. 25 attack, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies were sent to a home in the 23900 block of Straight Way at about 6 a.m. for a welfare check and found the woman inside with significant injuries. Navarro had left before deputies arrived, authorities said.
Investigators said the woman suffered injuries to her forehead, eyebrow, hands and the area around one eye, leaving her unable to see clearly at the time she was found. Authorities identified Navarro as the suspect after investigating the circumstances surrounding the assault.
The Sheriff’s Department said the confrontation followed the woman’s decision to ask Navarro to leave the residence. Authorities said he struck her multiple times with a metal baseball bat before fleeing. No arrest had been announced as of Saturday.
The woman’s family identified her as Therese Garcia. Her daughter, Abbie Garcia, said Navarro had arrived needing help and was allowed to stay at the home. The family said Garcia initially believed he was going through a difficult period and needed temporary assistance.
According to the family, Garcia cooked meals for Navarro while he stayed with her. Her daughter said problems developed within days as he became more demanding and did not follow through on things he had agreed to do. Garcia then told him he needed to leave.
Family members said the attack occurred while Garcia was asleep. They also said Navarro left with several of her belongings, including her phone, credit cards, keys and an electric bicycle. Those details were provided by relatives as investigators continued working to locate him.
Garcia was hospitalized after deputies found her and remained under medical care more than a week later, according to her family. Relatives said she suffered broken bones and a traumatic brain injury and could require facial surgery after swelling decreases. Her condition had stabilized, but the length of her recovery remained unclear.
The case has left investigators looking for information that could lead them to Navarro. Authorities described him as an Orange County resident who had recently been staying in Crestline. The Sheriff’s Department has urged anyone with information about his whereabouts or the investigation to contact the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Station or provide an anonymous tip through We-Tip.
Navarro had not been reported in custody by Saturday, Sept. 5. Authorities have not announced criminal charges, and the accusations against him have not been proven in court as the search continues.
Author note: Last updated September 5, 2026.