STOCKTON – A brother and sister charged in the alleged homicide of 22-year-old Phillip Gregory Sanchez appeared in San Joaquin Superior Court in Stockton on Friday, Sept. 21, and told a judge they will hire private attorneys to defend them.

According to Deputy District Attorney Mark Ott, who spoke after the hearing, the decision will delay the arraignment of 29-year-old Victor Garcia and his 21-year-old sister, Samantha Garcia. They will return to court 1:30 p.m. Sept. 28 in Department 35.

Both Garcias are charged in the alleged homicide of Sanchez, who police found at 12:21 a.m. Sept. 19 on the 200 block of West Whittier Avenue bleeding from multiple stab wounds to his upper torso, according to Tracy police Capt. John Espinoza.

Sanchez was pronounced dead at 1:10 a.m. at Sutter Tracy Community Hospital.

Victor Garcia is also charged with personal use of a knife, gang activity and having a prior prison term for vehicle theft and drug possession, according to Ott.

Samantha Garcia faces additional accessory charges, added Ott, who has been assigned to prosecute the case.

According to police, early Sept. 19, a caller reported seeing a Whittier Avenue resident, later identified as Sanchez, arguing with another man around 12:17 a.m. The caller said the verbal argument near Sanchez’s residence escalated into a physical fight.

Police said the fight resulted in Sanchez being stabbed multiple times.

The other man in the fight, later identified by police as Victor Garcia, allegedly left the crime scene in a waiting car. On Friday, investigators were not willing to say whether they think the person in the waiting car was Samantha Garcia.

Shortly after the alleged killing, Tracy investigators followed a lead that led them to the siblings in Modesto, according to Espinoza. The special investigations unit and special enforcement team of the Tracy police reportedly served the arrest warrants on the siblings in Modesto that day, Espinoza said.

Both defendants are being held without bail in San Joaquin County Jail in French Camp.

According to Ott, once the siblings have been arraigned, arrangements for a preliminary hearing that would possibly be in November or December.

However, if the defendants’ attorneys decide not to waive time, the preliminary hearing would have to take place within 10 days of the arraignment, Ott said.