Children of LEO veteran killed in crash awarded PBF memorial scholarships

Apr 15, 2026

By Katharine Jefcoats - Editor

& Cindy Baugher - Assistant to Director of Communications

Angie and her brother Nicolas with PBA Staff Representative Scott Gray and PBAGA/SC Executive Director Patrick Cullinan.

South Fulton County police Capt. Helio A. Garcia III was born with the calling to law enforcement, a 15-year career he devoted his life to after serving his country as a U.S. Marine.

Garcia was 47 when his life ended in the line of duty April 16, 2025, after a head-on crash with a driver police said was intoxicated. The crash happened about 11:16 p.m. on Flat Shoals Road.

He previously served with police departments in College Park and Holly Springs. He was instrumental in the founding of South Fulton Police Department more than eight years ago.

His two older children, Angie Pittman and Nicolas Garcia, have been awarded the PBF Memorial Scholarship to help offset college costs. Each were dual-enrolled at Kennesaw State University while students at Sequoyah High School.

Angie married Jacob Pittman and is enrolled in the nursing program at Chattahoochee Technical College. Nicolas is earning a physics degree with a concentration in business at Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

Nicolas Garcia:

Nicolas at the 5K Run held in his Dad's memory

Although Nicolas Garcia is not pursuing the path his father forged in law enforcement, he appears to apply the same drive, ambition and perseverance toward his own dreams in the maths and sciences.

The Georgia Tech student is working on his physics degree with a concentration in business.

"I have been interested in the science field since elementary school but my desire to learn more in the field of physics came during my junior year in high school," he said.

A PBF Memorial Scholarship is helping fund Nicolass college education, which includes graduate school.

"Receiving this scholarship has alleviated some of the stressors that come with financials of attending a college like Georgia Tech, where the class load may require a lot more of my time," he said. "I held a job through my junior and senior year of high school, as well as my first year of college, but since transferring to Tech, that is not something that I am able to do."

Although Nicolas was just a child when his father opted for his career in law enforcement, he said he remembers how important the choice was to his dad.

"My dad was able to follow his childhood dream of being an officer later in life when he was in his 30s," said Nicolas. "It is something that he always knew he wanted to do. Having a parent so passionate about his field means that he often spoke of it before and while he was a cop."

Dedication and devotion to education means Nicolas maintained a 3.8 to 4.0 GPA in high school. During his junior and senior years, he dual-enrolled at KSU and had a 4.0 GPA.

"This in itself is an achievement of mine," he said. "During elementary years, I had some medical struggles that put me back some. My last day of fifth grade, my science and math teacher told my mom that I was gifted in those subjects and, although I don't test well, to push me to follow in those strengths. I believe that I did that."

In middle school, Nicolas became passionate about health and fitness, creating a workout routine that he practices to this day.

Rather than learn many ways of life from one person, Nicolas said he has learned life lessons from multiple people - choosing what suits him and disregarding the rest.

Nicolas and his proud father when he learned of his acceptance to Georgia Tech

"There are things that I have picked up on from various people in my life," he said. "I can't name just one but I am grateful to have people in my life who I have learned various things from. I've taken a little bit of knowledge from the people around me and learned from their experiences.

"I would like to say that who I am is just me but if I think about it, I learned and accepted things from different people that I will incorporate into my life and some things that I would say that I didn't want to carry on," continued Nicolas.

Nicolas's mom Lissette Peñate-Soulios - Garcia's former wife -- said she and Garcia were proud of their son's scholastic achievements.

"Helio was extremely happy that our kids went on to pursue college degrees," she said. "He was so proud of both Nicolas and Angie -- Nicolas, for being so studious and getting into Georgia Tech.

"Nicolas was a great student," continued Peñate-Soulios. "I never once had to tell him to do homework. He got home from school and got straight to work. He then worked out for a couple hours. Nicolas is very determined and has goals that he wants to accomplish. We are all so very proud of him."

Garcia's widow, Eliana Garcia, also recognizes Nicolas's success. She said the blended family rarely uses "step" to describe relationships.

Eliana Garcia also recalled that when Nicolas shared the news of his acceptance to Georgia Tech, Helio's reaction was pure excitement.

"Beaming with pride, he spent the rest of the day calling family and friends to tell them about Nicolas's accomplishment," she said.

Angie Garcia Pittman:

Angie Garcia Pittman, PBF Memorial Scholarship recipient, was born in Miami, Florida and lived there for the first seven years of her life. Her extended family was close by, so she has many fond memories of fun times spent with not only her own brothers but lots of cousins who were close in age to her, too.

Angie has a treasured childhood memory of her dad during her years in Florida. She remembers he would pick her up from school and then they'd go to a local strawberry farm near the family's neighborhood to get strawberry milkshakes. To this day she considers those strawberry milkshakes and the time spent with her dad "the best."

As she grew up in her new hometown in north metro Atlanta, Georgia, Angie was mainly focused on her academics. She recalls, "Aside from powderpuff (women's flag football) every spring, I didn't partake in many extracurriculars freshman and sophomore year. Junior year I decided to join the cheer squad, and it was honestly the most fun I had. I love to dance and I love sports, so being able to do the two was a lot of fun. In my senior year of high school, I became a 'football manager', aka the assistant to the medical staff for the football team. My husband, then boyfriend at the time, was on the football team, so it was a good excuse to see each other more."

After graduation from Sequoyah High School in Canton, Georgia in 2019, Angie enrolled at Kennesaw State University. Her hard work as a dual enrolled high school senior gave her a welcome head start on college credits, allowing her to begin at KSU as a sophomore. She went on to graduate college with a BS in human services with a concentration in social engagement and advocacy.

Graduating from KSU in May of 2022 was just the beginning of a busy time in Angie's life. She and her husband were married a month after her graduation and the two worked for the same company until just recently. While pondering going back to school to start a nursing program, the couple discovered they were expecting their rainbow baby after two years of hoping and waiting. Angie explains, "Like my parents were, we both wanted to be younger parents, since I grew up very close to mine. So now, I'm navigating motherhood, while pursuing nursing school."

Angie with her husband and newborn son

Angie chose an accelerated program at Chattahoochee Technical College to accomplish her career goal. She wanted to get into the workforce quickly and the rigorous curriculum the school offers will help her to do that. She "knows it will be rewarding." The fact that she has her BS under her belt will help her to complete the program faster and puts her on track to graduate in the summer of 2026.

As for her undergraduate work at KSU, she said, "I had some friends in the nursing program who encouraged me to switch majors, but I never felt confident in myself to pursue the healthcare field." Also notable as she looks back now on her time as a high school football manager, she said she "really enjoyed assisting the medical staff with making sure the players were all taped up good to go before practices and games, as well as navigating injuries, so I guess I should have seen that as a sign to initially pursue the healthcare field." As of now, she's thinking she might like to be a scrub nurse assisting surgeons in the operating room.

Angie regrets that her father never got to meet his grandson; her dad died two months before he was born. She remembers her dad for many things, such as being a "major goofball" and believes she inherited a lot of her own quirks as well as her sense of humor from him. The family joked that her dad always tried to be too serious, especially in photos. However, she also definitely remembers him as a jokester and the life of the party. The two were often karaoke partners and Angie recalls that anytime there was a chance for karaoke "we always did our go-to song 'Rappers Delight' by Sugar Hill Gang."

On the serious side, Angie noted, "He was also extremely hard working and a major family man. He loved being with his family regardless of what we were doing. Most weekends were spent doing grill-outs with family and friends. He was also so passionate about his job. He entered law enforcement when I was about 10 years old, and I remember watching him study for his exams and him telling me about what he got to do or learn in the police academy. I always loved hearing what he'd tell me about what happened on his shifts and cases. His passion and career had me contemplating joining law enforcement for many years, before I decided to become a nurse."

Angie names her mother, Lissette, as the greatest influence in her life. Her mother became a mom at a young age, having her two oldest children, Giovanni and Angie, before she graduated from college with her BS. Angie said, "She's always been a figure of strength and resilience for me being a young mom, learning and advocating for her disabled son (my older brother had cerebral palsy before we lost him in 2020 due to non-covid related health issues), and then becoming a single mother."

Angie with her mother and father at her graduation

As for Angie's academic and career choices, her mother commented, "I see the passion she has to pursue a different field while still integrating the skills she learned with her first degree. Angie has always been a natural advocate for others, which began at a very young age when we would advocate for her older brother, Giovanni. Helio would be proud to see Angie in this new stage of her life."

When asked what advice she has for her both Nicolas and Angie as they continue their college careers with the help of their Memorial scholarships, she was succinct. "The advice I have for my kids is to keep going through the difficult times. As cliché as that may sound, don't give up, we all want you to succeed and I'm here for you for whatever you need."