Investigators said the cash was fake, but the crime was very real.
Julie Lynn Kimball was arrested on a charge of forgery-counterfeit money. Her bond was set at $10,000.
However, she did not have to pay to get out of jail. Kimball was released on a personal recognizance bond.
According to an arrest warrant, the 19-year-old passed three fake $100 bills at a Carl's Jr. on July 16. San Antonio police were able to get the suspect's license plate number.
Police and the U.S. Secret Service were able to trace the registration to a home in Dale, Texas, being rented by Kimball's mother.
However, the home was vacant and for sale when the authorities arrived Aug. 26. The home's owner told investigators the woman had a daughter, police said.
The warrant states that investigators tracked Kimball to the 10300 block of Sahara Drive on Sept. 2.
Seven days later, special agents with the Secret Service interviewed the 19-year-old suspect. She reportedly confessed to passing the fake money at the fast food restaurant.
According to the arrest document, a Secret Service tracking database found 17 additional counterfeit $100 bills of that particular note in San Antonio. The most recent was Aug. 25, police said.
