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Mistaken identity: Muskegon man arrested for crime he didn’t commit

Posted at 10:01 PM, Oct 23, 2015
and last updated 2015-10-23 22:01:27-04

MUSKEGON, Mich. — A man from the lakeshore is thankful to be back with his family after he said he was taken into custody for a crime he didn't commit.

Two bail bondsmen took Jaime Garcia to jail earlier this week, only to find they had the wrong guy.

It's something Garcia says he thought would never happen to him.  He said he's now been arrested twice because the man they want shares his name, parents' names and shares nearly the same birthday.

"I was at work (and), all the sudden, two guys came from the back. I didn't know who they were," Garcia said.

GarciaGarcia said he was informed of a warrant for his arrest, linking him back to an alleged assault of a 14-year-old girl.

"As soon as he said that, I thought of my little girl right away. If someone did that to my little girl, that would be horrible," he said.

Friday evening, police confirmed they're searching for a different  Jaime Garcia. They said the man is wanted for a 2013 crime involving 3rd degree criminal sexual assault.

"I can't believe they see us looking alike, when there's a lot of stuff that's different," Garcia said.

FOX 17 reached out to Wilkins Bail Bonds to get their side of the story. The owner said his employees were just doing their jobs and that everyone makes mistakes.  Garcia has an attorney and said he plans to follow up on the case.

The Muskegon County Sheriff's Office said their department wasn't involved. They just pointed out the bail bondsman had the wrong man.