A recent incident in Miami has garnered attention after a 53-year-old woman, Lourdes Garcia-Mesquida, was arrested for allegedly placing a GPS tracking device on a vehicle belonging to her friend’s husband’s mistress. NBC Miami reports that Garcia-Mesquida now faces a charge of aggravated stalking.
The series of events began on September 14 when Garcia-Mesquida was reportedly spotted acting suspiciously around a victim's car. The following day, per the arrest report, the victim found a Spytec GPS tracker on the underside of her vehicle. It was on September 18 that Garcia-Mesquida was once again seen near the car, this time placing an object, later identified as a tracker, underneath the vehicle. When confronted by a bystander, Garcia-Mesquida claimed she was "confused and a friend had sent her to look for a car because she had been cheated on," as documented by the same report.
Video surveillance footage played a pivotal role in the case, capturing both instances in which the suspect was seen tampering with the victim's automobile. The victim, who had been in a romantic relationship with a married man, showed the footage to him, and he recognized Garcia-Mesquida as a friend of his wife's. This information was further detailed in a report by The Published Reporter.
In court, prosecutors clarified that the accurate charge against Garcia-Mesquida should be unlawfully installing a tracking device, a third-degree felony. Advocating for her client, Garcia-Mesquida's attorney argued that she had no criminal history and posed no risk to the community. Consequently, the judge allowed for her pretrial release under an alternate bond of $2,500. Garcia-Mesquida's action contravenes a new Florida law prohibiting the placement of tracking devices on someone's property without their consent—a violation that is classified as a third-degree felony. She is "no longer in a romantic relationship with the man," the victim told Telemundo 51, distancing herself from the unfolding drama.
