Woman, 38, Allegedly Tried to Avoid Drug Charges by Impersonating Daughter During Traffic Stop
A routine traffic stop landed a Utah woman behind bars after she allegedly tried to pass herself off to police as her 21-year-old daughter.
Heather Garcia, 38, was pulled over in Farmington, Utah, after police noticed that she was driving a BMW that didn’t have a license plate, according to local CBS affiliate KUTV.
Upon searching her vehicle, officers allegedly found drug paraphernalia and a “white powdery substance.”
When asked to identify herself, Garcia allegedly told police her name was Mercedes, and that she was born in 1998.
A records check, however, found that Mercedes was actually the woman’s daughter — and that Garcia had outstanding warrants, KUTV reports.
Video: Gang Leader Attempts to Escape Jail Dressed as Daughter
• Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.
Garcia was booked into the Davis County Jail just after 3 a.m. on Saturday on charges of drug possession, driving with a revoked license and offering false information to a peace officer, online records show.
She was also booked on her outstanding warrants, which include drug possession and no proof of insurance, according to online records from the Utah Department of Public Safety.
It was unclear if Garcia had retained an attorney to speak on her behalf or entered a plea to any of the charges against her.
The Davis County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
