California teacher killing sparked hunt for girlfriend, her husband

Two people were arrested in Mexico and extradited to California in connection with a man’s killing last year, according to authorities.

On Aug. 19, Tulare resident Antonio Garcia and Misty Gomez of Dinuba were arrested in the death of 37-year-old Geoffrey Bernardi of Clovis, according to a Clovis Police Department news release.

Garcia, 40, and Gomez, 32, are back in California and on their way to a Fresno County jail facing homicide charges, according to the release. Detectives found evidence and communications between the suspects. Gomez was allegedly the girlfriend of the victim but also married to Garcia.

Police say the pair beat Bernardi to death on Dec. 18, 2025, in a canal near Barstow and Peach avenues in Clovis. Bernardi was hospitalized and died two days later.

The pair are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday, according to the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. They face a murder charge and an enhancement of use of a deadly weapon.

The suspects allegedly fled to Mexico, where they hid for months, authorities said.

Police say Gomez fled the country with two young children from her past relationships. They had been missing from Dinuba since April and were in the process of being reunited with family.

Bernardi’s mother, Erin Adams, told YourCentralValley that her son and Gomez dated for two months before his death and that he didn’t know Gomez was married.

Bernardi taught career technical education at the Clovis Unified School District.

“He was a stagehand and a sound man,” according to an obituary for Bernardi. “He had a love of theater, music and the arts. He worked for years honing his craft in the IATSE Local 158 with his union brothers.

“In recent years, he had found his home and a career doing what he loved with Clovis Unified School District working as AV Design Tech helping run the theater for Clovis Unified productions. He was growing in a job he loved, working with people he loved. He was happy and thriving.”