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Crime

Walmart Employees Allegedly Rip Up Woman’s $100 Bills Thinking They Are ‘Fake’…Then Try to Give Them Back

Sep. 17, 2012 12:00pm Erica Ritz

Julia Garcia Takes Legal Action Against Wal Mart Over Ripped Up $100 Bills | Fake

(Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

Texas resident Julia Garcia is seeking a maximum of $74,000 in damages from Walmart Stores, Inc. after its employees at a San Antonio store allegedly tore up her $100 bills and wrongly detained her for hours, thinking her bills were “fake.”

Apparently the incident happened roughly two years ago, around Christmas. According to Garcia’s complaint, she had just sold her vehicle and had two $100 bills and two $50 bills with which she hoped to buy Christmas gifts for her children.

When she presented the $100 bill at the Walmart checkout, the employee took it, turned to speak with another cashier, then told Garcia the bill was “fake” and ripped it in half without performing any counterfeit detection tests. At that point, Garcia was able to convince the employee to test the currency with the counterfeit detection pen, and having worked in retail, Garcia pointed out that her bill registered as legitimate.

But it didn’t end there. After the employee said the Walmart was keeping the bill regardless of how it tested, Garcia asked to speak with a manager. When she explained that she had just sold her car and produced another $100 bill, the manager allegedly grabbed that bill, ripped it in half, and told her she had to wait for police.

(Photo: AP)

Garcia was forced to wait at the front of the store for roughly two hours, according to her complaint, where inquisitive customers were told she was trying to pass “fake money,” or something to that effect.

After two police officers came, questioned Garcia, and performed more tests, they apparently told the store manager he had made a “terrible mistake.”

The manager then reportedly attempted to return the ripped $100 bills– adding that he didn’t agree with the police conclusion– before an officer intervened and instructed him to replace the ripped bills with new ones.

One of the police officers is said to have “apologized profusely” for how the Wal-Mart employees treated Garcia, saying they had “no reasonable basis to believe the bills were counterfeit.”

One Huffington Post commenter suggested the responsible employees have their employment contracts ripped the way the ripped Garcia’s money, while others were simply stunned at how wrong a simple Christmas shopping trip went.

(H/T: Daily Mail)

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Comments (113)

Tom Ballard
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:44pm
Did those involved get fired? if not whom ever made that decision should be!

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- jcldwl
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 1:05pm
  This happened two years ago. Is The Blaze on a vendetta against Wal-Mart? What is the point of this two year old story? I can’t believe The Blaze doesn’t have enough news to give us without ramping up a two year old story. Was it right for them to do that? No. Does the lady have grounds for legal action against those Wal-Mart employees? yes. End of story.
  
  Report this comment
- Toltepeceno
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 1:17pm
  jcldwl It’s STILL a story. Did you know about it already? If not then what are you complaining about?
  
  Did you ever think she might have just started the lawsuit? THAT is a new step in the story.
  
  Report this comment
- ERP
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 1:30pm
  @jcldwl
  
  Instead of getting your panties all twisted up….
  
  Why don’t you try and understand that some stories don’t come out right after an event happens, especially when it comes to retail where counterfeit money and stolen credit cards are attempted to be used across the nation, all the time with very little attention. Isn’t that one of The Blaze’s goals? Bring us stories you would normally never hear from the Lame Stream Media?
  
  Lighten up…
  
  Report this comment
- Pontiac
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 1:34pm
  @Tom Ballard
  Yeah I can only imagine they had a rash of counterfeit bills or something to cause them to go haywire… Or the employee was going to keep them for themselves as having all 4 corners of a bill will net you a new one. Either way ripping up actual counterfeit bills and keeping them without contacting the police or secret service isn’t remotely legal.
  
  Report this comment
- tcseacliff
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 1:41pm
  why is everybody so ready to sue? over what? give her back the $200 maybe a $200 gift certificate, re-train the employeesl and apologize, but to waste a courts time , and sue? ridiculous! that is the problem . all you A*holes want to sue . everybody is sue crazy and greedy, boils down to hand outs and something for nothing. many large corporations get railroaded into court over stupid **** because of the deep pockets. wish we could bring civility back. if somebody ripping your bill makes you want to sue , we are all doomed to hell!
  
  Report this comment
- tcseacliff
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 1:44pm
  and , the people that ripped the bills, saw an opportunity to steal too. they saw CHA-CHING! too many thugs seem to work the registers at Walmart! they have that life style mentality- free stuff! I am not wrong, been to enough Walmarts to know, walks like a duck, looks like a duck etc!
  
  Report this comment
- Kaoscontrol
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 1:56pm
  Please! lets calm down everyone, and not be so hard on Walmart. Their fine stores are my favorite source for cheap plastic crap from China!
  
  Report this comment
- Ben__Franklin
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 2:09pm
  A $250 dollar car?
  
  and yes, I would be suing Walmart if that happened to myself. Since when has any minimum wage Walmart checkout associate had training on counterfeit money? Most are lucky if they can count money.
  
  Report this comment
- drphil69
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 2:18pm
  @TC – really? She had her HARD EARNED MONEY tore up in front of her face, and was made to wait HOURS while Walmart employees told others that she was trying to pass fake money??
  
  Sure, I bet you would have just waited patiently and not sued… right?? What does that say about you? Apparently your TIME is worth NOTHING, so you are probably just another LIB sucking off the TEAT of the wealthy, through confiscation of tax dollars.
  
  I BET if Walmart had offered her a $500 gift card on the spot, she gladly would have signed he right to sue away… but apparently the MANAGER ‘knew’ the bills were fake… EVEN THOUGH THE POLICE SAID THEY WERE REAL.
  
  FOR THEIR STUPIDITY, RUDENESS AND IGNORANCE, I HOPE SHE GETS IT ALL!
  
  And by the way, I like Walmart. I shop there all the time. But incompetence of this magnitude needs to have a giant spotlight shined on it so it doesn’t happen again.
  
  Report this comment
- v15
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 2:28pm
  @TCSEACLIFF,
  
  I agree with you. Everyone is so quick to sue. Yes, those involved at that particular Walmart should be fired but I don’t see how her “damages” amount to $74K. She probably thought, “They’re a big company and I bet I can get them to settle out of court for a sizable chunk of change.”
  
  Report this comment
- desertspeaks
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 3:40pm
  @TCSEACLIFF, you are a doddering fool! the woman was not only humiliated but FALSELY HELD AGAINST HER WILL!! we call that false arrest and kidnapping!! it’s an actionable offense!
  
  Report this comment
v15
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:40pm
What’s the criteria for accessing “damages?” Why is she potentially entitled to $74,000?

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- Tom Ballard
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:45pm
  To teach them a lesson.
  
  Report this comment
- Recceman90
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:47pm
  Because the company has a nationwide haters’ group and big pockets! That’s why a couple hours and three hundred bucks in ripped up money entitles you to!
  
  Report this comment
- huey6367
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:50pm
  Ask her civil trial lawyer where that amount came from.
  
  Report this comment
- PorkPIG
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 3:00pm
  How much is your time worth ? Imagine that your detained illegally for 2 hrs then die the next day for whatever reason. Those 2 hrs of freedom lost has a value high than any dollar amount . I place a persons freedom at the top of my list , and this poor lady had her infringed upon ,it is unacceptable .
  “don’t tread on me “
  
  Report this comment
- JohnStenberg
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 3:50pm
  Uuum. Did you read this story? She was held against her will for 2 hours and they repeatedly told customers walking by that she was trying to pass fake money. That my friend is what we call DEFAMATION OF CHARACTER!
  
  Report this comment
- SpeckChaser
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 7:20pm
  Pork Pig
  
  That is the most asinine thing I have seen today.
  
  What if a chemical spill happens on the highway and you’re stuck for a couple hours and then you die.
  
  What if you get in a wreck and are on the side of the road for a couple hours and then you die?
  
  What if you’re in single stall bathroom at a restaurant and you hold me up for 30 min then I die? You should have to pay my survivors 18,500?
  
  Decent people would be happy with having their money replaced, a gift card with reasonable (couple hundred bucks) compensation for their time, and an apology from the offender, regardless if they were still breathing the next day.
  
  You must not work because you could die, for whatever reason, and would not want the last hours of your life spent on company time for <37K/Hour.
  
  Report this comment
Armyduderetired
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:36pm
That’s it. Pit the people against the evil corprate swine. Read Atlas Shrugged and you will know where we are at and how fast we are getting there. The only problem for we the people is its a one way road and no u-turns allowed. Good luck to the non believers and say our prayers to he rest.

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- Machtyn
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:58pm
  If I was detained for several hours and had 2 of my $100 bills ripped up, I’d be civil lawsuit furious, too. Sure $74,000 seems like a lot, but after it gets reduced, then it will seem more fair.
  
  Report this comment
zoro51
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:27pm
wal mart has gtone OBAMA they dont care as long as you BUY thier sweat shop products n hire RUDE employees you check a 100 dollar bill wiht a correction pen dectecting fake or real.. ripping it up will cost walmart BIG TIME not just 74 grand BUT FALSE IMPRISIONMENT n SLANDER id go as igh as 74 MILL plus…

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- The_Jerk
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:40pm
  I take my kids to Wamart instead of the zoo. It’s cheaper.
  
  Report this comment
- Gonzo
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 1:29pm
  I bet they look cute in their little Hitler Jugend uniforms Jerk.
  
  Report this comment
- biggreenboo
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 2:40pm
  Gonzo.. ZING!!!!!
  
  Report this comment
Individualism
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:24pm
Wal mart is a nice store that you can get almost anything at but to its employees treats them like animals and barely give them enough to get by. most of the workers i see there are miserable or their drones with no emotion. i suppose to manager probably pressured the employees to crackdown on it and she probably overreacted, because underpaid folks normally do as little as possible. most people get like 10-11 an hr and no benefits, for that your going to attract bad workers.

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- capitalismrocks
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:29pm
  Sometimes you get stupid employee’s you don’t blame the company, you blame the persons, they are the problem, not the company as a whole.
  
  Report this comment
- AnAmericanToo
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:44pm
  WalMart floor working jobs are NOT meant to be high paying jobs.
  
  WalMart used to have the theme of “Buy American” but that support of America has long ago bitten the dust. What a shame…..
  
  Report this comment
- Flag-Man
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:45pm
  They know how much they will be paid when they are hired.
  If they don’t like it don’t work there
  Real Simple
  
  Report this comment
- TEXASGRANNY73
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 1:16pm
  Good grief. If every walmart employee quit on the spot today there would be a herd of buffalo rush for job seekers. Give it a break. If you don’t want to work for someone, quit, thus doing everyone a favor including your self. Single mom’s (or fathers) working there or anywhere get “free” child care, food stamps depending on the pay scale and already get free from birth for any child born with a disability. In other wordsthey get pay plus. But at least some of those who work have a feeling of independence and some get educated. My gripe with WalMart would be all of the small businesses and going international with Coke, Kraft Foods and involvement with the World Bank. Do you ever check labels? It’s easy. Just look where your food and all products come from. Do you ever look at business’ view of the world and where their products come from and who owns them now. Look at Kraft Food products if you don’t believe me and see how many businesses they have now consumed so to speak.
  
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Yeah_Buddy
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:20pm
Perhaps the Fed’s printing press is getting mucked up after QE1, QE2 & now QE3. Why can’t the rich pay their fair share so Obummer can get him some new money machines!

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- Elena2010
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:30pm
  QE5 if you include TARP and the gazillion dollar stimulus!
  
  Report this comment
Capt_Gregg
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:19pm
If Sam Walton were still alive, both the cashier and the manager would be unemployed. The customer relations at Wal-Mart took a nose dive after his death, when it became just another faceless corporate entity. I still shop there, but it’s not the same.

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- Gremlin1974
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 6:06pm
  You are absolutely correct. They might have actually been treated to being fired by the old man himself. There also would have been no need for her to sue, because Sam would have called her personally and taken care of her, probably with a personal check from his account. At least that is the kind of stuff he was known for in his day.
  
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Winedude
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:16pm
Hey…this happened in Texas. How can anyone be surprised? Wal-Mart employees are notoriously under educated and in Texas it’s obviously even worse. The cashier and store manager border on downright stupid…

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- The_Jerk
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:23pm
  If you measure a groups intelligence by those that they elect to office, it appears that Texans are much more intelligent than most of the other states.
  
  And, at the rate that the Shylocks are printing money, devaluing our dollar, those $100 aren’t going to be worth much anyway.
  
  Report this comment
momrules
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:15pm
Garcia was forced to wait at the front of the store for two hours…………I would have thrown a good old fashioned temper tantrum ensuring that the police arrived much sooner than they did. All the while I would have been yelling how the WalMart employee had stolen my money.

I don’t know why a person would just quietly accept slander and public embarrassment. Don’t they realize that only the TSA has the power to do that and get away with that?

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RANGER1965
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:15pm
This is a great situation for Julia Garcia, because when the police were called they not only corroborated the woman’s story, they believed it strongly enough to apologize for Walmart.

This was 2 years ago, which is about the time that those new freaky looking 20′s, 50′s and 100′s were coming out. The checker, and the manager likely hadn’t seen them before and made a collosal mistake.

but rather than admit the collosal mistake, the manager arrogantly told the woman that the police were wrong, and he/she was right.

When you even have the police appologizing for someone’s bad behavior, it’s a win-win on a lawsuit.

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jimmy49
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:15pm
what the hell has happened to walmart. did libs take it over.

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KingCanon
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:13pm
Seems Wal-Mart is really starting to tick people off.
Anyone got an idea why?

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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:22pm
  Because Sam Walton was a liberal Democrat, and something of a bundler for Clinton?
  
  Report this comment
- FEMALL
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:46pm
  Because Hillary was on their board for 6 years prior to Bill’s becoming the Prez?
  
  Report this comment
Detroit paperboy
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:13pm
Ok, now that would piss me off BIGTIME………………….and I’m a pretty chill kinda guy…

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RJJinGadsden
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:12pm
No matter where you go in this world, you will always run into that one idiot who has become power mad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OS7UEqTmXk

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- biohazard23
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:55pm
  Awwww, TFF. I used to love them back when I was barely in high school…. Brings back some rather hazy memories of days gone by… :) Thanks for the smile, RJ!
  
  Report this comment
- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 1:31pm
  BIOHAZARD23, LOL, glad to be of service. I was in my thirties when I did like some of their songs. The movie Real Genius came out with song while I was on leave before heading back to my second tour in Germany.
  
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- biohazard23
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 2:12pm
  Well, you know you’re getting old when you hear the songs you used to like in the grocery store or an elevator. ;)
  
  My kids just roll their eyes when I break out the (late) 70′s and 80′s music. For some reason, though, they’re OK with U2, the Ramones, and RUSH. I’d rather have them listening to that instead of Rhianna or whatever the pop tart of the month is these days. Man, I’m starting to sound like my Dad.
  
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Jon
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:11pm
One Huffington Post commenter suggested the responsible employees have their employment contracts ripped the way the ripped Garcia’s money, while others were simply stunned at how wrong a simple Christmas shopping trip went.

A Huffington Post reader thinks that a Wal-Mart employee has an employment contract????!!!! That’s a little out of touch……..and isn’t it a federal offense to destroy currency? Should have arrested the employee’s just for stupidity.

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- corbecket
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 7:43pm
  “…..and isn’t it a federal offense to destroy currency? ”
  
  Nope! You can destroy all of the US money you want to. After all, it’s your money. However, the problem here is that it wasn’t Walmart’s money. That’s just one of the reasons they’re headed for court, though I doubt they’ll ever finish there. Best guess is that they’ll settle out of court, and it won’t be cheap for them. If she was actually detained, it really is a kidnapping case. If it goes to a jury, I wouldn’t give much for Walmart’s chances.
  
  Report this comment
- Snidely
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 10:19pm
  I wondered about that too. I thought an employment contract was a European socialism thing.
  
  Report this comment
Zipit
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:11pm
Lordy sakes! A hundred dollar bill in a Walmart!!! Why, that’s gotta be as rare as findin a turd in the punchbowl at the Sunday church social!

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munacra
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:10pm
Hey we are a litigious society. SUE EM!!! Just give the woman a free shopping spree… And a written apology in the local paper. FULL PAGE ought to do it.

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historyguy48
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:10pm
I guess Wal Mart isn’t hiring rocket scientists are they?
Dumb and dumber.

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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:13pm
  Hell, NASA is no longer hiring rockets scientists.
  
  Report this comment
ZAP
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:09pm
You must carry brass knuckles when shopping at Wally-MART.Everyone knows this….

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randy
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:08pm
Fire the store manager, the 2 other employees, give her minimum wage for the two hours she spent waiting for the police, then purchase her a bus ticket back to Mexico.

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- Steve Crisp
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:28pm
  Seriously?!?
  
  I grew up across the street from a family named Garcia. Their family obtained their US citizenship when the Constitution was ratified in 1789.
  
  There are over 50 million Hispanics in the United States. There are about 12 million illegal aliens of which about 80 percent are Hispanic. That means there are about 42 million Hispanic citizens of America living here legally with many of them probably having roots in the US longer than your own family has.
  
  I will be the first one to want our government to enforce our laws and toss out all those who are not here legally. But I also recognize that not all HIspanics, or Asians, or Indians, or any other non-European, non-white person is automatically illegal. I have an Asian college student working for me who is as Asian looking as one can get. Her family has been here for over 120 years.
  
  Report this comment
- Chet Hempstead
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 3:24pm
  I guess you never figured out that the reason the city is called San Antonio instead of Saint Anthony is that there were Mexicans there before there were Americans, so it would be too much to hope for that you would know that some of the Mexicans who were there fought on the side of the Americans in the war that won Texas its independence and made it possible for it to eventually become part of this country,
  
  Report this comment
cristo52
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:08pm
And Jon Corzine stole billions. Let’s keep it all in perspective.

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chips1
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:07pm
Two years ago? That was before Obama stopped anyone from keeping that much money. If that happened today, he would send in his army to tax her. She must be a 1% er.

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floridareader
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:07pm
Had that really happened, heaven would’ve fallen over Walmart two years ago, and I truly don’t recall such news.

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- chips1
  Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:15pm
  You don’t have cable TV in your closet? How primitive.
  
  Report this comment
tadroid
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:07pm
I, um . . . would like new ones, please!

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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on September 17, 2012 at 12:05pm
If what happened is accurate, she appears to have good grounds for her suit.

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- Mr.buff1959
  Posted on September 18, 2012 at 1:53am
  Im, glade to come back and find you stillon top of your game.
  
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