ARIZONA NEWS

Scottsdale approves $200,000 payment to settle wrongful arrest lawsuit

Apr 6, 2023, 1:00 PM

A screenshot of police body camera footage shows Scottsdale police questioning Yessenia Garcia on M...

A screenshot of police body camera footage shows Scottsdale police questioning Yessenia Garcia on May 24, 2020. (Via Taylor & Gomez LLP)

(Via Taylor & Gomez LLP)

PHOENIX – The Scottsdale City Council approved a $200,000 payment to settle a lawsuit filed by a woman who said police ignored evidence of her innocence before arresting her in 2020.

Yessenia Garcia was exonerated after being arrested for DUI and hit-and-run on May 24, 2020. She filed a federal wrongful arrest complaint in May 2021 seeking at least $300,000. The case had been set to go to trial May 9.

The City Council voted unanimously to settle out of court, using funds from the city’s Safety and Risk Management Operating Budget, as part of the consent agenda during Tuesday’s meeting.

On the night of her arrest, Garcia found the windshield of her car broken out after she left an Old Town nightclub. She flagged down officers, who made the assumption she was involved in a nearby hit-and-run collision.

Surveillance video showed Garcia’s vehicle parked at the time of the hit-and-run. The footage also showed an unknown vandal jumping on Garcia’s car and breaking the windshield, according to her lawsuit.

Despite the available video evidence and witness reports that corroborated Garcia’s story, officers took her into custody.

Police issued a press release about the arrest at the time, including Garcia’s mug shot, but later dropped the charges.

“I was arrested, forced to strip, humiliated, and my photo put all over the news because the police chose to ignore the evidence,” Garcia said in an August 2021 press release.

The case first drew attention after ABC15 ran a story about it. Scottdale Police Chief Jeff Walther ordered an internal affairs investigation, which led to at least two department employees getting suspended without pay.

An unspecified number of staffers “received some degree of discipline or counseling” for violating policy or failing to meet expectations, the department said in a press release at the time.

In the strongest rebukes, one person was suspended for 40 hours and another for 20 hours, both without pay, according to the release, which didn’t say what other punishments were handed out or how many.

“We made some mistakes plain and simple, and the involved employees have been disciplined for those mistakes,” Walther said in the release.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates, shown speaking to reporters on Nov. 10, 2022, in Phoenix, Ar...

Kevin Stone

Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates not seeking reelection in 2024

Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates announced Thursday that he won’t seek reelection to a third term in 2024.

13 hours ago

(KTAR News Photo/Shira Tanzer)...

Kate Ourada

Arizona’s News Roundup: Zone cleanup continues, Phoenix ups homelessness funding

KTAR’s Arizona’s News Roundup podcast this week covered the latest round of the Zone cleanup and other homelessness items.

13 hours ago

Booking photo of Ma’Kiah Coleman and image of a Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport security...

KTAR.com

Woman who allegedly assaulted Phoenix airport security over apple juice indicted

A Glendale woman who reportedly assaulted Phoenix airport security agents who stopped her from taking apple juice through a checkpoint was indicted on federal charges.

13 hours ago

Photos of the historic Tovrea Castle in Phoenix, Arizona, and a person suspected of breaking in and...

Kevin Stone

Intruder breaks into historic Tovrea Castle in Phoenix, causes $90,000 in damage

Authorities are searching for an intruder who broke into the historic Tovrea Castle in Phoenix recently and caused $90,000 in damage.

13 hours ago

(Twitter Photo/@MesaFireDept)...

KTAR.com

Mulch fire contained, but haze, odor wafts across Valley skies

The haze and burning odor that blanketed parts of the Phoenix area Thursday is the remnant of an East Valley mulch fire, authorities said.

13 hours ago

Follow @KTAR923...

KTAR.com

Illegal fireworks may have been cause of Glendale house fire

Illegal fireworks may be to blame for a house fire in Glendale early Thursday that injured a firefighter and displaced a family.

13 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Here are the biggest tips to keep your AC bill low this summer

PHOENIX — In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. No one wants to walk from their sweltering car just to continue to be hot in their home. As the triple digits hit around the Valley and are here to stay, your AC bill […]

...

Desert Institute for Spine Care

Spinal fusion surgery has come a long way, despite misconceptions

As Dr. Justin Field of the Desert Institute for Spine Care explained, “we've come a long way over the last couple of decades.”

(Photo by Michael Matthey/picture alliance via Getty Images)...

Cox Communications

Valley Boys & Girls Club uses esports to help kids make healthy choices

KTAR’s Community Spotlight focuses on the Boys & Girls Club of the Valley and the work to incorporate esports into children's lives.

Scottsdale approves $200,000 payment to settle wrongful arrest lawsuit