AUBURN, Ala. - On Jan. 17, 2026, Auburn Police, with assistance from the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia, arrested Lisa Marie Vargas, age 44, from Palmetto, Georgia, charging her with theft of property second degree.

The arrest stems from Auburn Police receiving a call reporting a phone scam in April 2025. Officers met with a victim who received a phone call from a suspect attempting to conduct a fraudulent transaction under false pretenses. The transaction resulted in a theft and financial loss, and the victim was alerted that the call had been a scam.

Lisa Marie Vargas was developed as a suspect and, after further investigation, an arrest warrant was obtained. Vargas was located by the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia and arrested in obedience to the warrant.

After waiving extradition, Vargas was transported to the Auburn Police Department on Jan. 17, 2026, and the arrest warrant was executed. Vargas was then transported to the Lee County Jail and held on a $3,000 bond.

All defendants are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.