Cayo Family center of Jerry Springer type controversy and abuse

Our newsroom received a desperate call on Thursday evening from a Santa Elena woman, who was afraid to go home because her common-law-husband was threatening to kill her. Maria Vasquez says she reported her abusive spouse, Manuel Aldana, to police and then spent hours on the roadside with her six children waiting for him to leave their home. News Five’s Delahnie Bain spoke to Vasquez today and found out that Aldana did not leave empty handed; he took all her money and groceries.

Delahnie Bain, Reporting

A mother of six children in Santa Elena is speaking out after she managed to survive and escape an abusive common-law-husband. Maria Vasquez says her relationship with Manuel Aldana suddenly went sour earlier this month when he became physically abusive with her children.

Maria Vasquez, Domestic Abuse Victim

Maria Vasquez

“When he go out, he gone happy, when he come back ih done turn back sad and start to rail up, start to knock my pickney, start to treat dem bad. He seh unnu no feed di chicken? Unnu noh feed di dog? Unnu noh cut firewood? And if nobody cut firewood he start to blam, blam and start to knock dem with machete or wah piece ah stick; whatsoever he got eena ih hand. I tell ah you know something, dat is not right. I mi got my stepson with me and I talk to he and he listen when I talk to he. But I don’t like lash. I don’t like lash; I just like sit down with them and talk to them or hold he and tell ah you know something, I don’t like what you’re doing.”

Vasquez, who is a vendor by profession, says Aldana also physically attacked her and started taking all her income from her vegetable sales.

Maria Vasquez

“He mi come, ih beat me, ih start to kick me and do anything. Den I come and tell ah unnu stop fool around because I am a different person when I am sad. Den I come, I throw glass top ah he mek he move from front ah me. He noh want move den afterwards he haul machete and seh do you want mek I chop you. I noh know what’s wrong with this man when he start to treat me bad. Many times I ask he why he treat me bad like that because I noh understand why he treat me like that. Anytime when he know I got some money, he come and tell me he need some money and I have to give him money. I tell he if I get money, I don’t get money for you, I get money for my kids for education.”

But the situation took a turn for the worst on Thursday when Vasquez says Aldana chased her out of the house with a machete and threatened her life if she returned.

Maria Vasquez

“Because I noh want have sex with he, he start to drag me, ih seh ih wah kill me. When I come out, he lock yah. I come out so fi go dah di gate. From deh ih tell me he noh want si me round yah or not ih wah chop me and dats why I mi fraid fi come back home. I mi di wait right pan di road and di patrol pick me up right pan di road. Den di patrol gone and patrol ask me which part he deh. I tell ah I do not know weh he deh, I mi lef he right yah home. but we come out right by Public Works and patrol gone down and meet ah right by ih ma.”

Delahnie Bain

“So he was arrested.”

Maria Vasquez

“Yeah, he get arrested. This situation, he left me without money, without groceries, with the vehicle and all with everything. I want mek he give me di license mek I bring back all my things home again. Only dat I di ask.”

To make matters worse, Vasquez recently found out that her common-law-husband had an affair with her daughter, who is now three months pregnant. Delahnie Bain for News Five.

According to San Ignacio Police, Manuel Aldana has been arrested and the charges against him are expected to include theft and Threatening Words. Meanwhile, Vasquez is trying to figure out how to feed her children and pay her rent, which is due today. She says Human Development and Open Doors in Cayo have indicated that they will be assisting her.