Martha Vazquez stepped down from KVOA Channel 4 today.

According to sources, her resignation follows a weekend shoplifting incident at the Tucson Mall.

Vazquez was the anchor of KVOA’s 4 p.m. weekday newscast and had spent nearly 26 years with the organization.

This article appears in Feb 9-15, 2012.

109 replies on “Vazquez Departs KVOA; Sources Say She Was Involved in a Shoplifting Incident”

  1. i am devastated,martha has been there for twenty some years maybe longer.KVOA you should pay your employees more money so they dont have to shop lift.shame on you martha,you just gave every latino woman broadcaster in the history of arizona a bad name.

  2. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone has done things they are not proud of and wouldn’t want the whole world knowing about. This one act does not define Martha as a person. She was incredible at her job and seems to be a genuinely kind person. I wish her the best and hope everything works out for her.

  3. I think I would have opted to skip mentioning the shoplifting allegation at this point. Given her long service to this community, Martha deserves more respect than that.

  4. Oh then was just wrong to mention !! Martha has been a long time news anchor with KVOA and a very outstanding community leader ! As has been said, It would have been in KVOA’s best interest to leave this allegation out.

  5. KVOA didn’t write about the allegation, they simply released a statement saying she had resigned. Tucson Weekly wrote about the allegation. Get with it.

  6. Shoplifting may be a harbinger of more serious mental health issues. She should be evaluated by a neurologist, since it might be related to other mental issues. KVOA should have allowed Ms. Vasquez to obtain a mental health evaluation before making this sort of announcement. Other television personalities have been allowed to seek medical help without a news announcement, why not Ms. Vasquez?

  7. I agree 100%! We should all not be so quick to judge especially after 26 years of service to the community…it that doesn’t speak for itself, I don’t know what does.

  8. The statement from KVOA said she resigned, she was not fired. The station didn’t have a choice in the matter it sounds like. I agree though that this incident is so out of character, there must be something else going on. Best wishes Martha! You will be missed!

  9. Holy Guac!!!!!!! achunga!!!!!!!!!!!!!!that is so unbelievable, I am so very disturbed by this it must be a Mayan calender omen. What in gods name is in the tucson mall that could be that precious? Maybe there is something wrong with her if any of you have noticed the two different positions of her eyes, that should be the first indication of some sort of imbalance. Has she lost her rational skills and moral values? again? or is this just the first time she was caught?

  10. These are very sad news. She is a smart woman and still a good example to the community. It is a shame that partial news have been released and she has not been able to defend herself. This is truly humiliating to her and her family and people should not be judging without what really happened.

  11. I no longer watch KVOA, don’t know Martha’s real situation but I do think they were pushing her out the door and this was a great opportunity. Look at the anchor lineup, no hispanics. In fact look at all the Tucson News stations, all they have are anglo anchors.

    Martha, sorry for your issues, it may have been a one time thing but it would be forgiven by a community that respects you.

  12. Chuck George gets personal leave and confidentiality, Martha Vasquez gets skewered in the press…whats wrong with this T.V. picture?

  13. Why does everyone think it was OK for her to steal? It’s NOT OK!! When you’re a “high profile” local celebrity ALL eyes are on you especially when you do something wrong. We wonder why prices are so high at the mall…..WE pay for what is stolen! She must’ve done it before and thought she could get away with it again. Shame on her!! And you don’t need to play the hispanic card Mike412. It’s a matter of breaking the law and getting caught, not race. Why should she get special treatment when we sure as hell wouldn’t. She had a lapse in her decision to steal….I don’t think we need to blame it on an “illness”. She did wrong, she got caught, and KVOA let her leave on her own terms. I commend them for that gesture for her 26 years of being a so called upstanding employee.

  14. This type of reporting just shows the difference: The Weekly is a garbage rag.
    Martha is a professional, intelligent, loved and respected newsperson.

  15. I’m certain “Debi” that you’ve never done a thing you regret. Ever heard of compassion? Something that we know nothing about is going on here. Your high and mighty attitude is sickening, this woman OBVIOUSLY needs more than your finger wagging. I can see you now, just like Janet on the tarmac recently.

  16. My thoughts n’ prayers go out to Martha. Whatever happened…. I don’t judge. I thank her for her years of service with KVOA.

  17. I can only go by how she treated me and she was nothing short of nice, courteous and genuine.

    We all make mistakes. You don’t need to ask me for forgiveness.

  18. Debi, I am not playing cards just stating the facts. I agree, stealing is stealing and is wrong. but if you read the write-up, it says SOURCES SAY, nothing is proven, did you see her steal anything? You are so sure she has stolen before, do you have proof or just jumping to conclusions? You don’t know if she actually stole anything, do you?

  19. Certainly, we don’t know the details yet. However, going to the KVOA site at 10 pm, she is no longer listed as one of their reporters. Whatever the story is, Martha Vasquez has given to her community of Tucson for 26 years. She has been and would continue to be at any station, an excellent reporter. If this preliminary info is correct, it is very sad, but also indicative of some underlying problem. It’s very unfortunate that the Tucson Weekly chose to report the anonymous allegations so quickly; this is one time when a delay would have been much kinder and much more humane. Whatever happens, I hope that Ms Vasquez comes through to the other side, knowing that there are many, many of us here in Tucson who support her and her outstanding contributions to the community over the years. God bless.

  20. As a former journalist myself, I would hope that those serving our community are upholding the law and have general integrity. Being in the public eye, for however long, does not excuse breaking the law. KVOA reports news. The Weekly also does this. I hardly believe the Weekly would choose to report this simply because Martha Vasquez is Hispanic. I don’t want someone “serving” the community in that type of a position if they’re not upholding the law and acting with good ethical and moral judgement. It is not the Tucson Weekly’s duty to uphold the “squeaky clean” image of a TV news anchor. If you’re an active member in our community, I hope that you’re acting ethically, morally, and upholding the law. If she couldn’t do that, I she doesn’t need to hold that position.

  21. Lets just wait and see. We don’t know any details. As far as Hispanic anchors go any quality hispanic reporters are quickly offered jobs in bigger markets. Tucson is low pay low mid level market work. Not meant for 20-30 year career work. We won’t see Patty Weiss, Martha Vasquez type tenured employees any more. Tucson market can’t afford and doesn’t want. The tv stations will hire who people watch and anything that will help them sell commercial time.

  22. I like Martha’s reporting style. I see her as a professional journalist first, a Latina second. I read this morning that she resigned last night, and knew something was wrong. She has been a spotlight of my daily news for as long as I’ve been in the Tucson area. Of course I wondered why she would abruptly resign; most anchors announce their resignation weeks or months in advance. She didn’t get the on-air farewell other KVOA employees got.

    Shoplifting is a serious crime. It’s not as bad as drug or alcohol abuse but it’s a crime that gets shoved off to the community. I’m sure Martha’s done plenty of reports on regional shoplifting. I wish she hadn’t stolen anything herself and don’t for the life of me understand why she would do something like that. She certainly makes more money than many other Tucsonans. Was this a one-time thing, a mistake, a misunderstanding?

    I will miss Martha. She served so well for KVOA and Tuscon. I hope the community will forgive her and that she can move on.

  23. One can only surmise by some of these comments that it was 1) the tv stations’ fault she stole and 2) it is another example of the white man keeping its jack boot on the brown man’s neck by relieving her of her job. SHE’S A THIEF! CASE CLOSED!

  24. There are ‘guys’ out there that have stolen millions for the American people and they are still collecting a pay check and bonuses. Martha may have a health issue as stated by someone earlier.
    Be well Martha, you are loved.

  26. Wow. 26 years at any job is kind of amazing, these days. I hope, whatever happens, Martha Vasquez is well.

  28. Dear KVOA,
    I am so disheartened that you have chosen not to stand by Martha Vazquez. She served KVOA and the Tucson community for over a quarter of a century. Everyone makes mistakes. Shoplifting is often a symptom of an underlying problem, i.e. depression. I firmly believe you should be standing by Ms. Vazquez and giving her your full support – not casting stones. Please reconsider re-hiring Martha and see her through this difficult time in her life. She was an asset to KVOA and to the Tucson community.

  29. Sorry to see anyone loose their job but folks there must be a lot more to this story that with today’s news we will not hear unless FOX picks up the story!!!!!

  31. I remember when she was a young reporter working for KOLD in the early 80’s and she became pregnant. She wasn’t married at the time and KOLD fired her. I thought it was great that KVOA picked her up as she is a solid reporter and has been a tremendous asset to the community. I hope all is well and she comes through this.

  32. Not Good! Martha, I can only hope this will work out for you in the end. You will be missed on the air…, you always brought a big dose of humanity to your broadcasts. I will miss that. Mindy Blake is the only other on air reporter in Tucson that even comes close. Everybody else seems to want to shout the news in an effort to make it seem important, you gave us the news like a conversation with a friend. I hope to see you on the air in Tucson again!

  33. Something must have happened. Anchors who’ve been a part of the community as long as she has don’t retire without goodbyes.

    Not knowing any details makes it impossible to form a solid opinion or know how to feel about it. Betrayed, saddened, worried. Funny how people who are strangers really, become part of our lives who we care about. Well, some of us it seems.

    If you judge someone a good person it’s not only OK to support and care for them, it’s the right thing to do. You hard ***es should remember that you yourself may find this out the hard way someday.

  34. Ref Eltucco’s comment of Feb13. I disagree that Martha gave every Arizona female Latino news broadcaster a bad name.First, we don’t know the facts, second if there is any truth that reflects only on Martha’s behalf, it’s that simple, imo. IF this story is true then her resignation speaks volumes in her favor regarding her professional ethics and moral character. Everyone, sooner or later, exercises poor judgment so no one can really judge another’s mistake. Nuff said.
    My singular brush with Martha was as a Domino’s Pizza delivery driver. I brought the order to a beauty salon on N.Country Club Rd. there I immediately recognized Martha who was getting her hair done. She gave me a big smile and I think said “Hi”, even though the pizza was not hers. That was 1987 – 1989. Things like that stick with you because it is a personable act and she was well known even then.

  35. Maybe we all should remember that being CHARGED with a crime is different than being CONVICTED of a crime.

  36. Civic leaders, entertainment people and other high profile people must lead by example. This is not about hard and soft hearts…it’s right and wrong.

  39. Good luck Martha its clear these people were just waiting for that one excuse to let you go. See you later KVOA.
    I wish we could get rid of some of our politicians this quick when they screwup.

  40. Solid journalism, Tucson Weekly. Good job. What a well resourced, investigated, solid, 3-sentence piece of writing that doesn’t look like the high school rumor mill at ALL. The shoplifting may or may not be true, but this “article” is a completely unethical.

  41. Wow, Rick Sanchez was an anchor for Fox News in Miami for HOW many years before running over and killing a pedestrian after a night of drunken partying and ends up at CNN – Martha allegedly puts something in her purse at a shopping mall and ends up crucified in the local press. Sum’ ain’t right.

  42. This very suspicious, let go after 26 years a few years away from full retirement maybe? Suppose she would have gotten a speeding ticket thats breaking the law. How about spitting on the sidewalk thats breaking the law in some towns. I can see her getting demotted to street reporter or something else but just let go for this after 26 YEARS.

  43. I sure would hate to have some of you on a Jury in a court room. The good old boys want to hang her high attitude doesn’t work for me.

  44. Don’t blame the weekly for reporting news, it’s their job. The shoplifting accusation comes from Tucson public court records. Yep, maybe she was a great reporter, but she broke the law and was busted. Oh and how can you seriously expect Fox news to do the right thing? They can’t even tell the truth?

  45. It says she stepped down? Not fired. Can you read? Accused of shopllifting according to public record, per azstarnet this morning, story has since been changed. Are you really looking at the Weekly for a full story when it’s a WEEKLY paper, not a DAILY paper?

  49. Iwonder how true this is. KVOA has been trying a long time to get rid of her. The station has been leaning further and further to the right.

  50. Why in the world would anyone try to blame this on KVOA ? Martha QUIT… she RESIGNED after an incident that involved her being accused of a crime ! And why would someone bring up the race card in all of this ? Are you serious ?

    Martha is in my thoughts and prayers. Please do not judge her. Did you know that 30% of shoplifters earn over $70,000 a year ? If she did this, then she needs help.

  51. I thnk we all should pray for Martha and give her another chance.There is no such thing as a perfect person .Thee without fault cast the first stone.

  52. I’m shocked and can’t believe this…Ugh, thats why I hate to hear the news it saddens me ….Let’s PRAY for her, I refuse to believe she is in a good mental state. 🙁

  53. I loved watching Martha. But if the allegations are true, she’s got some issues. A successful adult shoplifts for the thrills, to relieve stress, whatever. It’s not for the merchandise.

    Obviously, she needs some time off. Still, to let her go instead of let her get treatment is a little over the top, imho.

  54. BIG difference-Martha broke the law and because of this it’s in the public record. Whatever happened with Chuck George is private because he didn’t BREAK THE LAW. Yep he’s gay, get over it.
    SHE resigned, whether they wanted her gone or not, it doesn’t matter because she RESIGNED.

  55. It’s a shame this woman had to quit over those issues, but really, folks: Local TV in Tucson is dreadful. It’s among the worst in the country: Lazy, cheaply produced, sloppy, focused only on crime and fires and accidents (and they don;t even do a good job at that!) The local TV stations here grab all the money they can, and try to fool viewers with hyped-up newscasts that are nothing short of journalistic embarrassments.

  56. In addition to her paid job as a reporter, which Ms. Vasquez has performed impeccably and with compassion and integrity for so many years, she has also served the community in other roles. Like others mention, I recall sitting next to her many, many years ago, at a fundraising & recognition dinner for something or other – the occasion slips my memory but her kind, generous and courteous manner of speaking to a nervous young professional does not. Thanks Martha.

  57. Being of Mexican-American descent, coupled with a very rewarding career in media, I am devastated by Martha’s resignation and the implication that it was due to her involvement in a shoplifting incident. My mother always told me that, “no hay mal que or bien no venga,” meaning that, “there’s no wrong that’s not brought on by something good.” As a broadcaster Martha made countless great contributions to the industry however, she was way past her prime. I hope her departure clears the way for fresh new talent to be introduced into the Tucson television market. There are at least three other Tucson television personalities that should take heed about being past their prime. You know who you are and I ask that you consider resigning to help revitalize our local news shows before you too are crowded out by some unfortunate incident.

  58. I am so saddened by the report of this incident. Couldn’t KVOA have waited until there had been further evaluation of Martha’s mental status IF she was actually shoplifting. Perhaps there was a misunderstanding. It just seems so out of character. She is a lovely person and will be sorely missed! Will pray for you Martha. Donna T.

  59. Tucson Weekly has updated the story, complete with a copy of the police report at the time Martha was arrested. It is all very sad that a person’s professional life can be over in a flash, as a consequence of one bad decision – and in the blink of an eye, 26 years of service means nothing. Here’s the link to the updated story :

    http://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archi…

  60. I agree with many, the news should have kept this incident private out of respect for her many years of service to the Old Pueblo. We do not know the circumstances of what happened, for all we know she could have accidentally walked out with something without even noticing as many of us have when we are rushed or busy with other things. I thank Martha for her service to Tucson and wish her well with her future.

  62. @eltucco: It isn’t about how much the news agency paid Vasquez… I am sure she was getting paid well. If she is found guilty of shoplifting, then she got what she deserved. I will say this, it doesn’t matter what your economic situation is… Stealing is stealing, it is a crime and a sin. Some individuals do it just to get a thrill in life… If you want a thrill, I suggest boxing or bull riding. Vasquez is the only one to blame for her poor behavior, not the company.

  64. No great loss. That station has been slipping in the ratings for the last 10years and this is just another part of the drama. She is a “C” talent in a “D” media town! Next!!!!!

  65. No great Loss. That station has been sliding in the ratings for the last 10 years and this is just one more black eye. It all started when they brought in a washed up General Manager named Nielsen. He bothced the Patti Weiss situation, drove off some very good talent and sales executives and surrounded himself with a bunch of sychophants. Martha was part of the problem so now she is gone. Next!!!!

  66. I can see that libralism is alive & well in this town. We have stop making excuses wen someone does something wrong. It is all about priciple. Knowing the difference between write & worng. Let’s be real here.

  67. Why are we supposed to feel sorry for her and bashing the police? She committed a crime and is a local celebrity…of course they’re going to report it. If my children steal, they will be arrested and tried for their crimes. Why should she be any different? And somone ignorantly brought up Chuck George…if he had an illness or a medical issue, he is protected by confidentiality laws. Why does she deserve more leeway because she’s a local celebrity? And now someone is saying it’s because she’s a hispanic woman? Ummm…ok, it had nothing to do with the jacket under her sweater and the earring in her purse? She committed a crime and needs to face the music. People are ridiculous with their hero worship and conspiracy theories!

  68. Umm…Mike, I resent the liberal comment. What does being liberal have to do with this? Are we talking politics or crime? I am incredibly liberal (which means you’d clearly hate me) but I believe that people need to be held accountable for their actions. So maybe next time think before you start making sweep generalizations. Happy Heart Day…Love the Liberal!

  70. I say we all do an uprising in this community and get her back!!!!!! Why would she herself or KVOA stand in judgement of such a petty crime. We do not live in the medieval ages. We all make our mistakes……we stand tall……correct them…..apology for them….ask for forgiveness and go on. Therfore if there is any one out there who wants to campaign to get her back let’s do it. The mass of people rule. Martha we love you, respect you, and are loyal subjects to you. Peggy Flory-Dean pflorydean@roadrunner.com

  71. The average TV anchor makes about $50-65,000.00 a year. There is no excuse for theft, especially when you have the means to pay for it.

  73. You know she has been doing this for a long time. This isn’t something you “just” do at her age. She had to start out young and finaly got nabed. Martha, don’t to the crime if you can’t do the time.

    Now that she does’t have a job, her shoplifting days will increase.
    Look out Tucson, lock up your doors and windows, Martha is on the loose.

  74. First of all, this is tragic. No one who works in a high-profile capacity in one community for 26 years should see it blow up this way. However, as in the case of most drunk drivers, most shoplifters commit the crime many times without being caught. Who knows how long this might have been happening? She could be responsible for tens of thousands of dollars worth of stolen merchandise over the years. She might even have been caught before and let off the hook because of her status in the community. We just don’t know. First and foremost, stealing is dishonest. It undermines the basic foundation of Journalism. If you can’t be trusted, you can’t do that job. End of story. As for KVOA, I’m sure the feelings are mixed in upper management. Her longevity certainly was worth a rating point or two. But being able to replace her quickly with (no doubt) an attractive, young Hispanic female who will work for less than half of what Martha was making will be most welcome. It is a business, after all. It is also the beginning of the end of the dinosaur era in Tucson news. You won’t see Lupita Murillo, Sandy Rathbun or Martha Vasquez types again. What you’ll be seeing is 20-something boneheads from Syracuse or Northwestern or USC J-schools with no ties to the community, no life experience and no desire to stay beyond their first two-year contract.

  75. Come on people….let’s get real here. She broke the law and she got caught doing it and she admits her wrong doing. SHE resigned from KVOA. She was not fired!!! Her choice!! There is no disease here, just poor decision making. She knew what she was doing!! More than likely this was not the first time she’s done it but this time she got caught. Shame on the local news stations for not covering this story out of respect for her and her years of service to the community!!! She’s a thief and as far as the community service garbage she had a job and was well compensated for it.

  76. ANYONE who has EVER WORKED in any type of media, knows that some facilities in every market have a “police reporter” stringer that does nothing more than head down to the local copshop, looks at the overnight/previous day’s bookings and scans the lists to find Dog-Knows-What and more. If her name showed up and it turns out to be her and not some dopple-ganger, then she’s marked as a suspect. If KVOA MIGHT have done anything amiss, it might have not “suspending” her from being on-air ’til the actual case is settled. But, there’s probably a “moral clause” in her contract that specifically covers this type of thing. If you can’t follow the contract, it shouldn’t matter if you’re a 40-year protege’ of Mother Teresa or a first-day intern at some arm-pit, dog-forsaken cable outlet in Outer Swobodia, you’ve broken the contract and someone is showing you the door and advising you to pay attention as to whether it swings inward or outward. Now, if they don’t like you…

  77. Has no one here heard of being given the opportunity to resign rather than be fired? I guess KVOA felt they were being magnanimous letting her resign after so many years.

  78. Is everyone really this naive? Or Stupid? How does anyone know she has not been shoplifting for a decade. She does NOT deserve any respect, nor mental evaluations. She is a fricking crook, she should lose everything she has. I hate thiefs!

  79. Have we all forgotten judging is not justice. We are just seeing what she did wrong and yes what she did is not right but we need to realize that she may have some medical issue and people do things like this. All I’m saying we need to pay for our actions regardless of who the person is but we should not judge. Best of luck to you Martha, hope all comes out well.

  81. KVOA did divulge Why Martha resigned! It was the Tucson Weekly tha let the cat out of the bag. Matter a fact KVOA has a disclaimer on their site which states that employment policy does not allow to divulge specifics regarding the separation. As fro Martha, she will be missed. It seems tha KVOA is just not hte same without her. As for those judging her harshly, trea lightly, because you don’t know which path you will take some day.
    Blessings Martha, and prayers your way.

  82. what a horrible Liberal society we live in that you people, even though wonderful that you aren’t ready to grab a rope and find a tree to hang Martha, but still, justify her actions. This is exactly what’s wrong with this world. Most of you don’t have the ability to raise a child as you stupidly give them a dose of Retelin and put them in the corner for 5 minutes and think that is punishment enough for the most horrible acts of defiance, disrespect, damage, and violence. We read a story of a N.M. state trooper in uniform having sex with an unknown female on the hood of his unit and most of you say, “well boys will be boys, he’s just having a little fun”. We see NYPD humping women in a parade like dogs while on duty and again you say, “oh it’s just public relations, good for them”. Then when it’s something YOU don’t like it’s “oh my God what is happening to this world?”. I look at the post just above here and this idiot saying that he doesn’t believe it even happened, that because KVOA has been acquiring some morals, they for reason just drummed this up to get rid of Martha. Most of you people have the morals of a freaking dog, but then that’s what happens to you when you get too far left. And LIberal, that only means you’ve been liberated from morals, character, modesty, and integrity.

  83. It’s sad that Martha resigned over getting caught for shoplifting at the Tucson Mall. But I’m afraid she won’t be hired by the other tv stations, because the stations will think that she’ll try to STEAL the spotlight!

  84. He who has not sinned may cast the first stone. As a Mexican-American woman who lives in Southwest Tucson and whose children attened Cholla Hi, I felt so much pride in watching Martha Vasquez’s news reports. She overcame many of the obstacles of a “minority squared” student at Cholla and became an exemplary reporter and an asset to this community. Although what she did is wrong, she did not make any excuses for herself and admitted her wrong doing. Losing a 26 year career and enduring this embarrassing situation is enough punishment for her. Unfortunately, this mistake wiped out all her “atta boys”.

  85. Arcelia, What does this have to do with Race, or Gender? She is a pillar of the community and involved herself in petty theft, the chances of this being a single incident are slim to none. She did not graduate because she is hispanic, she did not become the anchor she did because she is hispanic, and she did not stealor get caught because she is hispanic.

    She obviously has some real problems, none of which is because of her race or gender. This DOES not look bad for hispanics to anyone with a brain. I am a white boy and dont even look or think about that aspect of it. Why keeping injecting race?

  86. Martha is not the first human being to be forceably “retired” after many years of service nor will she be the last. Viewers saw less and less of her reporting throughout the years. Her latest job duties seemed to consist of cat adoptions, gardening questions and trying to push a visiting chef to move faster before time ran out. My favorite quality-Martha asked her questions simply as a novice would even though she probably knew the answers due to researching the subject earlier; therefore, none of the interview went over anyone’s head. Martha never acted as she was above the viewer mentality as present day anchors do. Again-just because you have had a job 26 years-do not think the employer thinks that is a good thing-look at the ages of most of the recently unemployed. A younger reporter might have been given a chance to turn things around and become a contibuting reporter. The weekly, monthly or end report could reflect how the legal system “really” works and the milestones of an arrested guilty person – no matter why the reason (excuse) – just informative good reporting telling the novice what are the options when someone makes a mistake and are arrested..

  87. I’m glad she’s gone. I don’t want that thief in my living room any more. She might try to steal the TV set she’s appearing on. Thief, thief, thief = person with no morals.

  88. Think about it: Vazquez reported on criminals night after night. Every evening, Vazquez’s job was to go on the air and tell us the news. That news included armed robbery, theft, shoplifters, embezzlers, con artists, ponzi schemers, accounting irregularities, bank heists, and every other kind of theft you can imagine. You would think that all this reporting — involving people getting caught — might have made an impression on Vazquez. Nope. Instead, she imagined herself invincible and incapable of being caught. That does not speak well of her on a common-sense level. Who did she think she was? Did she feel personally entitled to take property that was not hers? Why? Did she believe herself to be above the law? There is something deeply missing in the psyche of a person like Vazquez. Almost as bad are all the people here defending her, as if stealing and hurting other people with your actions was not a problem. You people make me wanna puke.

  89. To all of you bleeding hearts out there, stealing is a crime no matter who you are. She has no excuse other than greed for her actions. It doesn’t make a difference what she has done for the community. This one act erased all the good she may have been involved with in the area. Once the act of theft is committed there is no turning back the hands of time. Live with it. She if a thief, plain and simple. Steve Dobbel, Green Valley

  90. i know martha and respect her. However when your actions brake the law, you pay the piper. We all have to pay that piper at one time or another. I still think Martha is a great person and all that. She just needs to do her time so to speak. Even if she has medical issues, she still has to pay the man. How many of us have had addictions or conditions and still have to pay that fine or go to jail… It’s called life. Most of us love Martha and support her hands down. God Bless you Martha! While none of us can change the past we can all strive for a good ending.

  91. I stopped watching that channel after Vasquez spewed her leftist vitriol against conservatives, right after the Giffords shooting.

  92. Of course the bleeding hearts stick together. Vasquez didn’t even pretend to be a neutral talking head. Her disgust about the people’s freedom of speech (via bumper stickers) was sickening to watch.

  93. I get sick of the “she was a respected public figure” bull. She is a person, same as you and me. She was breaking the law, PERIOD! Just because she is a T.V. personality doesnt give her automatic saint status. I can think of a billion high profile people that are less than moral. right is right, wrong is wrong!

  94. I feel she was a respected public figure in the community and she was held to a higher standard. I guess she feels she doesn’t owe her community anything. I would have thought she would want to apologize for her conduct, very disappointing on her part, her actions speak for themselves.

    As for KVOA, I stopped watching when then kicked out the morning blond anchor, followed by the demotion of Lorraine Rivera, Sandy Rathbun, and on & on, it must be awful to work there.

  95. I have worked with Ms. Vasquez at KVOA in the 1970’s and have always found her conduct to be professional and beyond reproach. Why are we so quick to judge her in this instance? I for one will wait until all the facts are in and then, since I am not without sin, myself, I will not pass judgement or throw the first stone.

    Martha, I thank you, I treasure you, I support you in this, your hour of need.

    Chuck Simms

  96. I was once criticized by Martha back in 1969,she was always the perfect one .Now we know [how perfect}.I was no model citizen then,but rather a troubled teenager.She now is an adult who should get everything the law can give her and more.I know people who have served her in various businesses in Tucson,most thought she was rude,arrogant,snobby,Karma’s a bitch.One of the places mentioned is the Tucson Mall,where many employees have delt with her arrogance and rudeness,Sorry Marhta I have known your behavior for many years,but you surprised me this time.And her husbands have been Doctors.Should have been a psyco

  97. People like to hide under titles – shoplifting is a serious crime, the newbies do the “grab and run” the professional who have been at it for while do exactly what Miss Martha did…sneak and conceal! Shame on you Martha! Don’t forget, we still remember what you did in high school!

  98. NEXT NEWS HEADLINE!!!

    (Daniel Patterson not attracted to Martha Vasquez, until shoplifting event! Now has brought attention to her mental health instability and is looking for a date!)

  99. Its true,she stole a jacket and I think it was a purse…..You do the crime; you do the time.

  100. icecld2!!! I do agree with you that kvoa had martha in their cross hairs and were looking for any excuse to get rid of her and she gave it to them.

  101. I didnt read all the comments and i respect people’s differing opinions. As a child I too shoplifted after my grandmother used to take me to department stores and tell me to put things in my pockets. I never did get caught but it was wrong. I’m an adult now and know this is wrong and punishable by law. What they really should do is have Martha pay for the stolen items, giver her a fine and have her pay it and give her a warning that this will not be tolerated ever again. I think she should THEN be allowed to come back or to hold another news position elsewhere if she wishes. The next infraction though should be jail if it happens again.

  102. Why does every story about a hispanic caught shoplifting or committing any other crime turn into a race thing. She is on camera clearly showing her dropping earrings into her purse and the hoodie draped over her bag and she walks out of the store. I dont care if she was an anchor person for 26 years, she stole she got caught and she steeped down from her position. She could probably now get a job on the Tucson city council.

  104. It’s funny that Chuck George’s second stint in rehab wasn’t this big of a deal.

    It doesn’t matter either way that she quit because this station is trying to force out all the older anchors to get younger, cheeper people on their staff. Not only do they hire very young, untalented people but they always make them quit before they hit the six month mark so they don’t have to pay for their insurance. This is a horrible station to work for.

  105. Why is everyone so in favor of Martha? I work at Dillards and we catch shoplifters every day! Why should Martha get special treatment????????????? She shoplifted and borke the law!!!!!!! Other shoplifters get a much stronger punishment than her!

  106. Sounds like favoritism to me. A crime is a crime no matter who commits it and should be punishable by law.

  107. I have no clue why this comes up now. the shoplifting happen in 2012 ! She was given he option to resign – which was a kind gesture to keep the exposure to a minimum. I always loved Martha and still do . It has gotten very quiet around her. I hope she got the help she needed. Martha’s kind ways helped many in Tucson. I wish I could say the same about Lupita Murillo

  108. She did NOT perform a service for the community. She was paid to do a job on television. Don’t confuse the two. Just because you see her on tv everyday doesn’t mean you know her. She showed us who she really is when she walked out of a store without paying for items.You know who pays for shoplifters? We do. The community. Now tell me a again how someone who gets paid twice as much as we do to work 4 hours a day, and then steals from our stores is servicing the community?

  109. this is from 2012 . she resigned. cant believe people are still commenting about it.

    glad shes gone!!!

    enough with this back and forth,.

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