A 39-year-old Billings man pleaded not guilty Friday in Yellowstone County District Court to sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl by luring her into a Billings Walmart car.
Tyson Lee Garza appeared in court for the first time via videoconference in an incident that prosecutors say occurred on December 30 at a Walmart in the West End.
Judge Ashley Harada set a bond of $150,000. His next court appearance is March 6th.
In what one prosecutor described as a “violent and impudent attack,” Garza ran into the girl while walking from Walmart and lied about knowing her grandfather to convince her to come to his car. .
According to prosecutors, he sexually assaulted her in a car and she fled when he tried to hide in his seat from a passing worker outside.
Garza was identified by surveillance videos matching the girl’s description and records of transactions in the store obtained by a search warrant.
As a condition of his release, Garza must wear a GPS monitor and cannot have contact with children or victims.
Harada also had to order five children under the age of 14 to visit and be supervised by another adult.
You should also stay away from marijuana, drugs and alcohol and the places where they are served. Garza works at a marijuana dispensary, and Harada said he needs to find another job in another industry.
