Utah Woman Found With Meth Tries To Pass Herself Off As Her Daughter To Avoid Arrest
The 38-year-old attempted to dupe law-enforcement in a bold way.
Davis County Police This should go without saying, but deceiving a police officer is never a good idea. A 38-year-old Utah native, Heather Elaine Garcia, thought otherwise, and is now dealing with the consequences as a result.
Last Saturday, Garcia was arrested by Davis County Police for trying to pass herself off as her 20-year-old daughter, Mercedes; and to no surprise, it is considered an obstruction of justice to provide law-enforcement with a false identity. The charade unraveled when Garcia allegedly claimed to not have her personal ID on hand. She then provided the arresting officer with her daughter’s name and date of birth, which is a big no-no. Through a basic records check, the arresting officer immediately proved the personal information she provided to be false.
Since this bizarre case has made headlines, many of us are left wondering, who is Heather Elaine Garcia, the mom who believed she could out-smart authorities? Here’s what we know thus far.
1. She was pulled over on suspicion she had been driving a Silver BMW without credentials.
An officer noticed that Garcia’s vehicle did not have a license plate, prompting the officer to pull her over. By law, all 50 states require that every operating vehicle needs a visible (and legit) license plate for identification purposes. Yes, there are some exceptions, but they’re few and far between. Garcia and her car were obviously not exceptions in this case.
2. She already has several outstanding warrants in the state.
A simple records check was performed, which indicated she had multiple active arrest warrants and a suspended driver’s license. On top of that, she’s had earlier charges that include possession or use of a controlled substance, marijuana possession of more than 16 ounces and driving on a denied license.
3. This time around, she was found with meth.
During the vehicle search, there was curved broken glass located on the center console that resembled the shape of a broken pipe. The broken glass had white and brown residue, which further raised suspicions. From there, police found white substance in her purse that later tested positive for methamphetamine; the purse also contained another pipe with the crystal-like substance.
4. She is currently at the Davis County Jail, with her bail set at $5,320.
She is now there for her new and active charges. The newer charges include: providing false personal information with the intent to be another actual person, possession of a controlled substance, use or possession of drug paraphernalia, driving on a suspended or revoked license and operating a vehicle without insurance.
5. Giving false information to a police officer can result in grave consequences.
According to to the Utah-based law firm, Intermountain Legal, P.C, the ramifications for Garcia are unfavorable. Misleading an officer through false identification can result in a Class C misdemeanor, which means Garcia may have to pay a hefty fine and face some jail time. Since she claimed to be her daughter, an entirely different person, her consequences are more severe. In the state of Utah, this is considered a more serious crime, a Class A misdemeanor in fact, so now Garcia faces a $2,500 fine and one year behind bars.
6. What’s next for Heather Elaine Garcia?
From what’s been gathered, we know that Garcia is awaiting her day in county court and facing time under her various warrants. Ultimately, for impersonating her daughter alone, she isn’t expected to be part of the outside world for a while.
Dominique is an unapologetic Scorpio (BIG co-star girl), reality TV loving heathen, and twenty-something, NYC-based writer with a moderately interesting life, knack for editing, and passion for content creation.