Assault suspect identifies forger

Published 6:18 am Tuesday, June 15, 2010

A woman last known to be residing in Austin is wanted on a Mower County warrant six months after a man she had a relationship with told authorities she was in the country illegally.

Isabel Estela Garcia-Lopez, 34, was charged Friday with three counts of felony forgery. Garcia-Lopez could face deportation, though that process would go through federal court.

According to a criminal complaint, the issue arose in December, when a 25-year-old man in jail for allegedly assaulting Garcia-Lopez told authorities that she used the ID “Belen Viramontes” to gain employment.

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The man, who said the two had moved to Austin from Illinois together, added that Garcia-Lopez was in the country illegally and that she had fraudulent documents at their 710 Ninth St. NE residence.

He also said that Garcia-Lopez had worked at Quality Pork Processors in Austin under the alias several years ago.

QPP verified that she had worked there and provided work documents in the “Viramontes” name, the complaint states.

Investigators also discovered multiple listings for “Viramontes” in records, including a Texas photograph ID that did not match the QPP work photo under the same name.

On Dec. 17, 2009, authorities executed a search at the 710 Ninth St. NE home, recovering a number of documents linked to Garcia-Lopez and “Viramontes.” During the search, Garcia-Lopez arrived at the house. She admitted to authorities that she was actually Garcia-Lopez but that the “Viramontes” documents belonged to her as well, the complaint states.

She also said that she was born in Guatemala but had come to the U.S. illegally about 10 years earlier. Garcia-Lopez said she bought a “Viramontes” birth certificate and Social Security card from an unidentified Austin man.

Garcia-Lopez also said she had worked at three businesses in Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota under the alias since 2005, including QPP.