By Bayne Hughes
The Decatur Daily
ATHENS — A female Limestone County Jail inmate who has punched four corrections officers in the last three months is being held in an isolation cell, authorities said.
Bethany Page Garcia, 32, 212 Sanders St., Athens, “has a history of being combative. She can go from calm to angry very quickly,” said Capt. Vanessa Rich, jail supervisor for the Limestone County Sheriff’s Department.
Garcia was arrested in May on possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia charges.
Rich said an officer saw Garcia reach into her pocket as she was booking her into jail. The pocket contained a plastic bag with meth powder, so she was charged with promoting prison contraband.
She said Garcia hit a corrections officer during this first trip, so second-degree assault was added to her charges.
Garcia was released on $16,000 bail.
Capt. Stanley McNatt said Garcia was arrested Saturday on a criminal trespassing charge. Again, she slugged a corrections officer, busting her lip, to earn a second-degree assault charge.
District Attorney Brian Jones had Garcia’s bail revoked Wednesday, prompting another fit of anger.
McNatt said Garcia punched two officers and broke a telephone receiver by banging it on the wall of her cell.
She was charged with two counts of second-degree assault and destruction of state property.
McNatt said the correction officers’ injuries were minor.
Rich said Garcia will remain in an isolation cell “for everybody’s protection until we see a change in her behavior. Inmates like Garcia make a correction officer’s job difficult and dangerous.”
“Some can go from zero to mean real quick, especially if they’re on drugs,” Rich added. “Sometimes they become mean when they’re in withdrawal.”
Rich said she can’t wait for the Limestone County Commission to finish construction of the $3.22 million jail addition. It’s scheduled for a spring completion.
The 10,850-square-foot addition will have 24 single jail cells that will allow more isolation of the dangerous inmates.
“The new maximum security jail is needed for inmates like Garcia,” Rich said. “I could fill it right now.”