Man allegedly assaults ex-girlfriend, burglarizes home
Published 7:34 am Friday, July 13, 2018
Alberto Garcia, 30, of Austin was charged on Thursday in Mower County District Court with felony domestic assault, felony theft-take/drive motor vehicle without owner consent, felony first-degree burglary-occupied dwelling, felony third-degree burglary, felony store methamphetamine paraphernalia in the presence of a child, felony fifth-degree drug possession, gross misdemeanor interrupt, interfere, impede, disrupt emergency telephone call and misdemeanor theft-take/use/transfer movable property without consent.
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 allegedly 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, taking the keys to her house, garage and a vehicle that belonged to a relative. She alleged he “ripped” her phone away from her and threw it when she tried to call the police, then left in her relative’s car.
Police allegedly observed bruises on her upper right arm and left elbow and a red injury and bruise on her right ankle.
Police were dispatched at 6:36 a.m. on Monday to her residence 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 allegedly broke through the locked south door of the house. She allegedly found him sitting at the kitchen table with a glass pipe and pills sitting on the table next to him. She said they started arguing about him bringing drugs into the house. He allegedly went into the bedroom and grabbed a black Nike bag she was using as a purse as she was calling the police.
The complaint states Garcia then left the house, “kicked in” the door of the garage and took a yellow bag of unknown content before heading east. The woman said the Nike bag contained her identification, credit cards, insurance cards and $40 cash.
The woman’s minor daughter was at home when the incident occurred.
Police photographed damage to the doorframes of both doors and a boot print on the outside of the garage door, the complaint states. The glass pipe allegedly tested positive for methamphetamine and the pills were determined to be clonazepam, a schedule IV controlled substance.
Garcia was arrested on Tuesday after running from police through several yards in the area of the 100 block of 12th Street Northeast. A methamphetamine pipe was allegedly found along the chase route.
While at the Mower County Jail, Garcia said he stayed at his ex-girlfriend’s house “all the time,” then said he did not know anyone else in Minnesota and had been “sleeping outside in parks,” the complaint states. He denied knowledge of the glass pipe and pills, claimed the door was “already broken,” and said garage door had previously been broken by “several teens down the street.” He also alleged that she had stolen $90 from him.
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 appear in court again on July 26.