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
“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.
“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.
“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.”
“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.
Belizean women dah time unno all wake up and stop let men abuse you. Sometimes you feel like you can’t live without man but that is not soh You slave and work your @$$#$ out to support people like this moron Aldana, wha is wrong with you? Wisen up! you could be using that money to support yourself and your kids. You full up yourselves with all them kids when man ready he pick up ih !@$$ and haul go and day you get stuck with them pon top ah dat ih preggo you daughter . Unno stop tek fool fram man, no man betta than you and no mek nobady tell u nor do you $#!%. Fi haffi live inna company with wa #$$hole u betta off di live alone.
Too sad that you have to find out after four kids later that he is abusive. I think that there is more to this story.
SHE WANTED YOUNG MAN, SHE GOT YOUNG MAN, TAKE YOUR LOVING LIKIN, MACHETE PAN YOU BACK DA LOVE !!!
Abuse is never ok. Most of the comments seemed to blame the domestic violence victim. This man is a batterer and everything that is evil. This poor woman needs help and despite the abuse she has strengths in the fact that she is talking about it and she also works independently to help her family. I hope the social services assist her in every way, in that she can become a domestic violence Survivor instead of a victim. The police department needs to protect this woman and her children from this animal. Stop judging her!!!
Abuse is never ok. Most of the comments seemed to blame the domestic violence victim. This man is a batterer and everything that is evil. This poor woman needs help and despite the abuse she has strengths in the fact that she is talking about it and she also works independently to help her family. I hope the social services assist her in every way, in that she can become a domestic violence Survivor instead of a victim. The police department needs to protect this woman and her children from this animal. Stop judging her!!!
I am so sadden by on these stories and the negativity Belizean has against each other. Why is it we justify the wrong people doing by blaming the vitamin. Why is it we can think such nasty thought of each other. ABUSE IS WRONG no matter what age.
I would like to ask Serminfo Merkanto since the mother is bad for choosing a wronger guy what fault do you think the kids has for being abuse??
….. We all have family and we wouldn’t want anyone to treat them that way. You need to pray !!!
People like you is one of the reason I hardly read these comments.
concern i agree with yu 100 percent,,people like him and another one name rod always got some out the box unintelligent comments ,,,abuse is wrong no matta what ….thanks for positive people like concern respect