KVOA anchor Martha Vazquez, who has been a fixture on Tucson TV for three decades, abruptly resigned on Monday, following an alleged shoplifting incident that occurred over the weekend.
The Arizona Daily Star reports that a woman with the same name and birth date as Vazquez was cited Saturday on suspicion of shoplifting from the Tucson Mall.
After alerting staff of Vazquez’s resignation on Monday afternoon, KVOA news director Cathie Batbie-Loucks told the Daily Star that the veteran anchor’s departure was “due to personal reasons.”
A native Tucsonan, Vazquez began her broadcasting career with CBS-affiliate KOLD in the 70s, before moving on to KVOA in 1984. Most recently, she anchored the station’s 4 p.m. weekday newscast.
Tom McNamara, who anchors KVOA’s 5, 6, and 10 p.m. newscasts, filled in for Vazquez at 4 p.m. on Monday. Kristi Tedesco, who anchors alongside McNamara at 5 and 10, is set to fill in for Vazquez moving forward.
About a 10-minute drive from KVOA, the Tucson Mall is a typical suburban shopping center, which includes Macy’s and Dillard’s department stores as well as a roster of well-known apparel stores like Banana Republic and Express.