Man pleads guilty to assault, meth paraphernalia charges
Published 8:23 am Friday, December 7, 2018
Alberto Garcia, 31, of Dallas, Texas, pleaded guilty to felony domestic assault, felony store methamphetamine paraphernalia in the presence of a child and misdemeanor theft-take/use/transfer movable property without consent as part of a plea agreement on Tuesday in Mower County District Court. He initially pleaded not guilty on July 26.
Charges of felony theft-take/drive motor vehicle without owner consent, felony first-degree burglary-occupied dwelling, felony third-degree burglary, felony fifth-degree drug possession and gross misdemeanor interrupt, interfere, impede, disrupt emergency telephone call will be dismissed as part of the agreement.
According to the court complaint, a woman reported on July 5 that her ex-boyfriend, Garcia, had assaulted her earlier in the day. She said they met outside her residence in the 600 block of 12th Street Northeast. When she told him she was leaving, he said she was “not going anywhere,” took her purse and threw it on the roof.
Garcia threw her onto the driveway and stepped on her right ankle with his work boots, the complaint states. She said she ran inside to get away, but he followed and pushed her around. Police observed bruises on her upper right arm and left elbow and a red injury and bruise on her right ankle.
Police were dispatched back to the residence again on July 9 regarding a burglary and were advised Garcia had fled east on foot, the complaint states. The woman reported she was in the bathroom getting ready for work when Garcia broke through the locked south door of the house. She found him sitting at the kitchen table with a glass pipe sitting on the table next to him. She said they started arguing about him bringing drugs into the house that he went into the bedroom and grabbed a black Nike bag she was using as a purse as she was calling the police. The woman’s minor daughter was at home when the incident occurred.
A review of Garcia’s criminal history shows prior convictions for domestic assault, possession of a controlled substance and violating a domestic abuse no contact order.
Garcia will be sentenced on May 3.