A Texas man was arrested for allegedly planting a GPS tracking device on his estranged wife’s car as the couple is in the middle of a divorce — and his bond was set at a scant $100.
Yosemite Mariscal, 33, was arrested over the weekend and charged with unlawful installation of a tracking device after his soon-to-be ex-wife spotted his truck parked near the Houston restaurant where she had gone for lunch, ABC13 reported.
“I saw his car and distinctly recognized the license plate,” the woman, who asked for anonymity for her safety, told the local station.
“Something just didn’t settle with me. I said, ‘There has to be some way that he is tracking me.’”
The couple had been married for 13 years and had three small children together and Mariscal had the kids when he followed his wife to lunch.
Knowing something was off, she confronted her estranged husband and he reportedly admitted to installing the device on her car in person and over text, claiming it was just for his peace of mind, she said.
The Texas man was arrested charged with unlawful installation of the GPS tracking device found. KTRK
“He put it right between the trunk and the lining … So it was tucked in there,” she said. “So there is no way I would have ever been able to see it.”
The frightened woman decided to call the cops.
“I told him I was going to call the police for my safety,” she told ABC13. “Once police got there, he decided to lie and said he didn’t put a GPS tracker on. There was nothing there. Fortunately for me, I had the text messages and audio recording.”
The wife said the husband put a tracking device between the trunk and the lining, as it was “tucked in there,” she said. KTRK
His estranged wife said she needed to stand up for herself and her safety even if she didn’t want to have the father of her children arrested.
“Most of us who endure abuse. Most victims don’t press charges because of what their family will think, or they’ll be made to be the bad guy,” she said. “But, I think, ultimately, for the person’s safety, you have to report that.”
Mariscal was arrested but quickly made the mere $100 bond for the misdemeanor charge, the station reported.
“They don’t have any type of criminal history, and when they go, they’re released immediately, and that gives them, if the person is violent, it gives them a chance to possibly hurt the other party,” she added.
She said she is glad her estranged husband is not one of the violent ones and he knows he made a mistake.
“I can’t imagine if it was somebody who was actually violent and would want some sort of revenge on the spouse, how that could play out differently,” she said.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.
Source link: https://nypost.com/2023/12/20/news/texas-man-yosemite-marisca-arrested-for-allegedly-putting-gps-device-to-estranged-wifes-car/