A 19-year-old man, Luis Garcia, is now in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement after pleading guilty to groping a 72-year-old woman in Cape Coral.
Garcia had initially been facing a third-degree felony charge of battery on a person 65 years or older, but instead, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge.
In court on Wednesday, Luis Garcia was sentenced to a 30-day work program, 12 months of probation, and an anger management program. Garcia, who believed he would walk out of the Lee County courthouse a free man, was unaware that ICE agents were waiting outside. As soon as the sentencing was concluded, Garcia was taken into custody by immigration authorities.
The victim, Angela Johnson, spoke exclusively with NBC2, recalling the distressing encounter that occurred eight months ago. While out for a walk in her neighborhood near Durden Parkway in Cape Coral, Johnson was groped by Garcia, a construction worker. She vividly remembers the moment, which has since affected her daily life.
"I felt it brought tears to my eyes a little bit," Johnson said, describing the emotions she felt when facing Garcia in court. "It made me sort of relive that moment."
"Every day I go for a walk, I think about it. Sometimes I get emotional talking about it, and sometimes it’s hard to sleep," Johnson said, fighting back tears. "Lately, when my grandkids run up and grab me, I tell them not to grab me from the back. I ask them to do it from the side or the front because it startles me."
This week, Johnson finally got the justice she had been waiting for.
Garcia's defense attorney responded with this statement:
"We are obviously very saddened by the fact that this young man is likely to be deported for a relatively minor charge that he apologized for. Nonetheless the victim has always wanted him to be deported and quite likely she's going to get her desire. As a citizen I certainly hope we focus in and narrow down those individuals which pose the greatest danger to our society when it comes to detention and deportation efforts and expenditures."