Gascón wanted to hold Ryan Garcia accountable for $15,000 hotel vandalism damage. Judge dismissed case

Mercurial boxer Ryan Garcia caught a break Tuesday when a judge dismissed a misdemeanor vandalism charge against him over the objections of the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. Garcia, 26, responded with a post on social media: “No way I’m going to jail.” Turns out he was correct because, as the judge noted in open court, Garcia’s payment of full restitution prompted the Waldorf Astoria to decline to pursue the matter further. Michael A. Goldstein, Garcia’s attorney, said the district attorney’s office was “chasing a headline.” “The Beverly Hills Police Department arrest reports confirm the Waldorf Astoria did not wish to pursue criminal charges against Mr. Garcia,” Goldstein told The Times. “And I think in this situation, where the defendant has made full restitution, in a weird sort of way he’s sort of shown a lot of remorse for what happened and I think he gets the benefit of his bargain.” Goldstein said Garcia was under stress because of family issues and that Garcia appreciated Beverly Hills police officers “recognizing the crisis he was in at the time and transporting him to the hospital for evaluation.” Garcia “continues taking the steps needed to maintain his mental and physical health and will return to the ring soon enough,” Goldstein said.