Teacher's Girlfriend and Her Husband Accused in His Killing

Police Say the Relationship Hid a Marriage

A California teacher’s girlfriend and her husband are accused of killing him after investigators discovered that the woman dating Geoffrey Bernardi was still married, police say. Misty Gomez, 32, and Antonio Garcia, 40, were arrested in Mexico after an eight-month investigation into Bernardi’s December 2025 death.

Bernardi, 37, was a career technical education teacher with Clovis Unified School District who worked with students on theater productions. He was attacked outside his apartment complex shortly after midnight on Dec. 18 and died from his injuries two days later, ABC7 reported.

His mother, Erin Adams, told the station that her son had been dating Gomez for only a few months and did not know she was married to Garcia.

Investigators Said the Attack Was Not Random

Clovis police initially investigated the killing without publicly identifying Gomez and Garcia as suspects. By January, detectives had concluded the attack did not appear to be random and had identified a person of interest, according to ABC7.

Police later said investigators uncovered evidence and communications involving Gomez and Garcia. Authorities have not publicly detailed all of that evidence, and both defendants are entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty in court.

Gomez was reportedly the only witness to the attack and initially gave police a description of the person she said assaulted Bernardi. Bernardi’s mother told ABC7 that Gomez contacted the family that night and later appeared with them at the hospital.

Those circumstances became especially painful for the family once police later accused Gomez herself.

Arrests Came Months Later in Mexico

U.S. Marshals arrested Gomez and Garcia in Mexico on Aug. 19, authorities said. They were returned to California and eventually transferred to Fresno County custody to face the case against them.

A criminal complaint obtained by ABC7 accuses the pair of murdering Geoffrey Scott Bernardi. That filing represents an allegation, not a finding of guilt.

People reported that police had tracked the couple to Mexico using investigative technology that authorities did not describe publicly. Details about precisely what investigators believe each defendant did have not been fully released in the reporting supplied for this story.

Two Children Were Left in a Separate Crisis

The arrests also created another difficult situation involving Gomez’s two daughters, who had traveled with her to Mexico. ABC7 reported that the girls had been reported missing by their families in April and remained in the care of Mexican child-welfare authorities after Gomez and Garcia were taken into custody.

Their relatives were working through the process required to bring them back to the United States. A former U.S. Marshal told ABC7 that authorities would need to complete formal procedures and evaluations before the children could be released to family members.

The children are not accused of wrongdoing. Their situation is one more consequence extending beyond the criminal prosecution itself.

A Teacher Remembered Beyond the Case

Bernardi’s work connected him closely with students through career technical education and theater productions. His mother has described a son who believed the relationship with Gomez was serious, making the later discovery that she was married especially difficult for his family.

What police believe happened is now a matter for the courts. Gomez and Garcia have been accused, but the reporting reviewed for this article does not establish that either has been convicted.

For Bernardi’s family and the school community that knew him, the legal case follows an eight-month investigation. The loss came much earlier: a 37-year-old educator was attacked outside his home, and the people who loved him were left trying to understand why.

References: Couple Accused of Killing Wife’s Teacher Boyfriend | Man, Woman Arrested in Mexico in Murder of Beloved Clovis California Educator, Police Say | Children of Woman Charged With Murdering Beloved Clovis Educator Still Stuck in Mexico

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