A Lehigh Acres woman was sentenced today to 13 years in prison for stabbing a Lee County deputy.
Tiffany Garcia (DOB 11-17-88) pled in court to charges of Aggravated Battery on a law enforcement officer and Aggravated Assault on a law enforcement officer.
Last March, two deputies responded to a disturbance call at 706 Arianne Court in Lehigh Acres. Upon arrival, they encountered Garcia in the bathroom, wearing only her undergarments and behaving erratically. The female deputy, Corporal R. Shott, asked the female to get dressed so they could go out into the living room and talk. As Garcia reached into the drawer for clothes, she grabbed a knife and began slashing at Corporal Shott’s face and chest area before stabbing her in the leg. Garcia was taken down and arrested.
Garcia’s 13-year prison sentence will be followed by 12 years of probation. She must also undergo substance abuse and mental health evaluations.
For Corporal Shott, the road to recovery was a painful one and included more than three months of intense rehabilitation. Corporal Shott has since returned to full time duty and says she’s hasn’t let the incident keep her down. “I’m still working,” she says with a smile. “Working to serve and protect.”