Fort Lauderdale waitress: stealing thousands using diners’ credit cards.

In Fort Lauderdale, a former waitress at a restaurant has been arrested for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from diners using their credit cards. The waitress, Elizabeth Alvarez Garcia, was fired from her job at Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant at the Galleria at Fort Lauderdale mall after customers complained about unauthorized charges. According to an arrest report, Alvarez Garcia used a Square payment device linked to an LLC called “Mareli Investment Corporation” to process the transactions. The money then went into a business account, which showed a history of purchases on food, gas, travel, entertainment, and personal expenses. Police believe Alvarez Garcia stole at least $4,320 from three victims over a four-day period in June. She has been charged with third-degree grand theft, fraudulent use of a credit card, and criminal use of personal identification.