SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The 25-year-old man who recently reached a plea deal after vandalizing the Springfield statue of Martin Luther King Jr. last year has violated his agreement with the state.
According to court documents, Fernando Garcia did not report to the Sangamon County Probation Department after he was released from jail. His probation officer also wrote that Garcia failed to submit DNA as mandated by the Illinois State Police for being convicted of a felony.Â
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Garcia still owes the state nearly $10,500 for damage to the MLK statue at Freedom Corner.Â
Probation Officer Emily Chitwood recommended that the state file a petition to revoke Garcia's conditional discharge. Chitwood also recommended that Garcia be re-sentenced to the Sangamon County Jail.
The 300-pound statue across the street from the Illinois Capitol was toppled on September 11, 2022. Garcia pleaded guilty to damaging the state property on July 31. Garcia has already accumulated $9,690 for serving 323 days in jail before his trial. Inmates receive a $30 credit for each day they serve behind bars.Â
The 300-pound MLK statue at Freedom Corner across the street from the Illinois Capitol was toppled on September 11, 2022.
Garcia's court case was continued several times over the past year as doctors found him mentally unfit for trial on December 12, 2022 and March 13, 2023. Garcia was admitted to the Elgin Mental Health Center on March 30, 2023. The Illinois Department of Human Services reported that he showed significant progress and cooperation by May 12, 2023.
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