MASON CITY – A North Iowa woman who was previously caught faking a lottery ticket and convicted of a felony was caught Sunday attempting to steal from Walmart.
Mason City police responded to a call from loss prevention employees at Walmart, located at 4151 4th Street SW, at about 11:42 AM Sunday. Officers arrived and after an investigation, arrested 27-year-old Amanda Jo Garcia of Hanlontown on a charge of fifth-degree theft for attempting to steal merchandise valued at less than $200.00.
Garcia was taken to jail and remains held there on bond.
Garcia was found guilty in 2012 of violating Iowa code 99G.36(1), which states “a person who, with intent to defraud, falsely makes, alters, forges, utters, passes, redeems, or counterfeits a lottery ticket or share or attempts to falsely make, alter, forge, utter, pass, redeem, or counterfeit a lottery ticket or share, or commits theft or attempts to commit theft of a lottery ticket or share, is guilty of a class ‘D’ felony.”
She was sent to Beje Clark halfway house and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and fined. However, she violated her probation twice and was sent to prison in 2014.
