The unimaginable enters your life, and the fairytale turns to deception. My life was going great; relocating to San Antonio with David, my son, for new experiences and growth was the boldest thing I have done in years. The goal of any single mother working full-time is to provide a safe and fantastic life for her children. One thing necessary to accomplish the maternal feat is a strong work ethic. I experienced working long, unsatisfying hours, knowing I needed to do more than paper routes and housekeeping. While maintaining a full-time job I applied to nursing school, committed to providing for my son I studied hard and continued to work full-time for our betterment, and now 14 years later, I have an impeccable career allowing me to provide for my son. Being a nurse also brings fulfillment in helping patients receive a quality of life they would unlikely receive without the care of a nurse and the passion I bring along with the care they receive. Nursing is my life, and in this career path, I have received many awards and accomplishments, most recently receiving employee of the month three times, reflecting my exemplary performance record. Hang with me, it's not all boasting, and you will soon enter the nightmare. In my 47 years of life, I commit to faith and family. As well, in these 47 years, I have never been arrested, charged with a crime, violated a law, or believed I would be on the receiving end of handcuffs for defending my son and myself from a violent domestic abuser. Well, here we are, the gates of Hell and where help is requested.

I met a man online through a popular social media app. Cordial and fun, the conversation would turn romantic as we spoke. Months passed by as we continued to discuss our lives, the life we imagined, with goals, desires, and ambitions. He was polite, respectful, caring, attentive, and understanding. Of course, as a single mom with a teenage son, the questions of safety and timing are a part of the decision-making. The day came to meet and see each other in person, and like months of chatting remotely, the meet-up went great. As we believe, when you know, you know, and everything felt so genuine and transparent. We discussed marriage because of my faith, and living with someone out of wedlock was not an option, and the wedding arrangements began. I signed a leasing agreement for a larger apartment and set into motion the upcoming arrangements.

Let us fast forward to living together; the experience of Mr. Romantic, who was understanding and caring, changed to controlling, dominating, mean, demanding, inconsiderate, hostile, and disgusting. The constant tracking, stalking, inquiries, and unrelenting accusations seemed never to end. Personal time in the bathroom was no longer a private experience, and he forced his way in demanding the most vial and heinous things, a situation I never in my life believed I would experience. It was not long that I realized he was not the same person I met, and around four to six weeks into the marriage, I knew the mental and physical abuse he so joyfully exhibited was all too natural to him. Then, I came across items that dropped me to my knees and twisted my stomach into knots so tight it sucked the air from my lungs. Once I was able to breathe, the items consisted of a letter so chilling I cannot recite the words but maintain a copy from a victim of his in their attempt to forgive and move on with their life from the awful assault this man did to this young woman. If that were not enough, I find hidden prescription medications typically used to treat bipolar and schizophrenia. I was doing some additional research; once the adrenaline and the stunning nauseated feeling subsided, the items I found became more solidified as accurate.

I confronted him with the findings, and it was a roller coaster of anger and empty apologetic words blaming everyone from his past for what he did and the way he suffers.

The abuse and now the deceitful lies he hid from me, trapping me into a false marriage, was all I needed to begin filing for divorce; now, it is approximately two months into the marriage.

With any mama-bear, there is a line you do not cross. I discussed the situation with my son and our plans to leave. The mental and verbal abuse was on an unexplainable level; not only engaging me, he now turned his attention to my 15-year-old son. My son remained locked in his room the majority of the time to stay away from the abuser. My request to sign divorce papers became a disgusting and perverted tool for sexual demands that made him furious when I refused to comply. Asking him to sign his name off the lease to the apartment was another perverse way for him to attempt blackmailing me for sexual advances. When I rejected his demands, pushed him off of me, and demanded he never touches me, his temper grew to a level of hate that is indescribable.

He began lashing out at my son, tormenting him, concerning things with the food and other hateful mental tactics he used to abuse my son.

Knowing the divorce was coming, I reported the situation to various people and organizations. I made attempts to maintain the peace in the interim in getting away from him alive.

On Saturday, July 10th, the day before my son's 16th birthday our abuser would escalate the abuse and bait us into defending ourselves for his sick mental games. As you may know, the work schedule of a nurse is demanding. I was up for a very long time running on only a few hours of sleep, and needing to sleep; I went to bed. It was not long he was standing over the bed demanding sex. He kept repeating that he would not sign the new apartment lease and move out unless I had sex with him again. Knowing the disgusting person, he is, and what he is, I did not cave and refused to touch him or be touched. He left, pulling the bedroom door shut.

It was not long after I am awakened to a commotion and hear my son yelling, "MOM, I CAN'T GET IN THE DOOR IS LOCKED.," referring to the bedroom door. I jumped up and ran to his call for help and provide safety. Rushing to my son, I realized the abuser locked the bedroom door during his exit from the inside, prohibiting my son from entering the room and delaying my exit.

Once I opened the door, I observed the aggression and hostile hold on my son as he attempted to fight off the abuser. Like any mother, I began to defend my son and keep this grown man from hurting him anymore. The abuser's attention became directed to me, where he violently pushed me to the ground and then grabbed ahold of my son once again—bouncing up and going to my son's rescue from this disgusting man attacking David. I was able to break his grip on my son, but he immediately began to choke me. As I felt the grip begin to tighten and his second-hand grasp my neck, I yelled with everything I could for David, my son, to call 911 for help. Though time is challenging to calculate, it seems somewhere around a minute of him choking me, he let go and said he would also call the police. It seems he devised a plan to record a short video of me defending my son. Allegedly this snippet shows a brief moment of a mother protecting her child. What convenient timing for a snippet, isn't it?

The police eventually responded well after the call for help came through. The officers arrived and began the statement process. Throughout this process, it felt like I was the person portrayed as the aggressor. Though the detective said, he agreed with my statement. He said he did not doubt what I was telling him happened; he decided to arrest me based solely on the brief video and not on any information before or after the video.

The day before my son turns 16 he sees his mother goes to jail. His mother is going to jail as he watches because she is divorcing a despicable con artist and doing what any mother would do, defending her son from what I believe is a molester of children.

Now I find myself charged with domestic violence with bodily injury charge. My job of five years receiving employee of the month three times and a dedicated work ethic has found me guilty before proven innocent, eliminating my income to support myself and my son David.

Since being bailed out, I have managed with a police escort to get a few basic necessities out of the house that he did not destroy. During the two trips, officers heard him say, "I can touch you; I can do whatever I want." as he boasts about me going to jail, and he got away with his behavior.

I am in the fight of my life, though some decisions I have made recently may not seem to be the best I always try to do what is best and the right thing. 

Returning to my apartment after being released from jail the abuse began immediately as I entered. My abuser already looked up online that I was ordered a "no harm or injurious contact order" which empowered him to continue the abuse. He walks behind me, pushing me, and then says "you are going back to jail" but he did not realize I was recording this time. The officers arrived and heard my recording, concerned for my safety, he would continue the abuse and pure determination to send me back to jail I was forced to leave my apartment breaking the lease for the safety of our lives.  

I am out on bail, and due to the nature of the arrest, I am unable to work as a Nurse which is devastating.  If this does not get dropped my Nursing career of 14 years is over and employment outside of Nursing is limited at best because of the domestic violence charge.

Never in my life would you have convinced me that I would be arrested at 47 years old on the eve of my son's 16th birthday for defending him and myself. I would think you are playing a practical joke on us.

I am confident that through this process, the truth will surface, his past will come to light, and the events of this Saturday will find justice. Domestic violence is a real thing; I would never have believed I would be the victim of such horrible acts.

Your help is requested; I am fighting for my life. My nursing license is in jeopardy; our living conditions are in the balance and unknown.

If you can donate any amount, please do; if you can share, please do; if you know someone or are the victim in an abusive relationship, do not delay or wait for a particular time; get out now!

The attorney will need $4500 to get started and time is of the essence. With your help, David and I can look forward to this nightmare being over soon. We deeply thank you all for your support.