1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:05,960 Speaker 1: He took the police report and he gave it to me, 2 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:10,480 Speaker 1: and he said, one day, when you're ready, you should 3 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 1: read this. There are some stuff in here that I 4 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:17,800 Speaker 1: don't think you know. It's actually diabolical. 5 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 2: I'm Andrea Gunning and this is Betrayal, a show about 6 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 2: the people we trust the most and the deceptions that 7 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:43,959 Speaker 2: change everything. When Angeliqe Robletto was seventeen, she found out 8 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,239 Speaker 2: she was pregnant. She decided that this baby would be 9 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 2: her second chance. She got clean from drugs and made 10 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 2: a new friend, another pregnant teenager named Cassandra. But one day, 11 00:00:57,080 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 2: a casual hangout with Cassandra took a sinister turn. Angelique 12 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:04,880 Speaker 2: had a gut feeling that something was wrong, but she 13 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 2: didn't know what it was. After a fire started, Cassandra 14 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:12,319 Speaker 2: was taken away by paramedics, and Angelique was left to 15 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 2: explain the situation to her parents and law enforcement. She 16 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 2: suspected that Cassandra started the fire and that the proof 17 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 2: was in her friend's bag. 18 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 1: I take the diver bag and I keep explaining to them. 19 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 1: She said, she had this present for me, like the 20 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 1: explanation is in this bag, and as I'm doing that, 21 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 1: I put the bag on the counter. I breach my 22 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:37,040 Speaker 1: hand in the bag and I feel these two metal objects, 23 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 1: and when I lift them and pull them out, they're 24 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: two large butcher knines, and I dropped them on the 25 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: counter and I just start screaming. 26 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 2: She backed away from the bag, trembling. The cops stepped 27 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 2: in and they. 28 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 1: Come and pull out more They found, like scissors, disinfectant, alcohol. 29 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 2: The items painted a dark picture of what Cassandra might 30 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 2: have been planning that night, and Angelique realized the gifts 31 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 2: you'd been given weren't for her at all. 32 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 1: Everything that she gave me was one of everything. To 33 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: take my son, to make sure my son had a 34 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: newborn diaper, to make sure my son had a baby onesie, 35 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 1: a receiving blanket, to wrap him in a blanket so 36 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: he didn't get cold, a carrier to carry my baby 37 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 1: out with. She had one of everything to take my 38 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: child and to leave that house. 39 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:37,920 Speaker 2: It all finally clicked for Angelique. Cassandra had been planning 40 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 2: to stab her and run away with her baby. 41 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:44,800 Speaker 1: I just remember sitting on the couch staring at a wall, 42 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 1: and I just kept repeating the same thing over and 43 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 1: over and over again. It was like a trance. I 44 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 1: told you she was going to kill me. I told 45 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: you she was going to kill me. I told you 46 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 1: she was going to kill me. My mom said that 47 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 1: I sat there for hours. 48 00:02:58,200 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 2: The rest of that night was a blur. 49 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: She was in shock. 50 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 2: She remembers the cops taping off the scene. 51 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 1: They had blocked both of my streets off so that 52 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 1: nobody can get in, nobody can get out. 53 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:13,559 Speaker 2: What had been a potential arson was now. 54 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: In the attempt of murder investigation. 55 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:20,639 Speaker 2: Later that night, a police investigator came to speak with Angelique. 56 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,079 Speaker 1: When the detective comes in, me and her very much 57 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:27,240 Speaker 1: know each other because of my past. I've got arrested 58 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: by her at least once. It's a small town that 59 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: she knew me by name, Hi Angelique. 60 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 2: You know, she was surprised by how the cops spoke 61 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 2: to her. 62 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 1: They were laughing, they were joking, Oh, are you sure 63 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 1: this didn't happen, And she says, you guys are smoking 64 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: marijuana in your room. You know it's no shocker because 65 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: Angelique has done things in the past, but it wasn't 66 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: a joking situation. 67 00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 2: They hadn't been smoking weed. Angelique knew what happened. She 68 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 2: just couldn't prove it to the cops. 69 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 1: They had me write it down and then that was 70 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 1: it for the night. They just did their investigation and 71 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 1: they left. So the next morning comes I call them 72 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 1: and they don't have any news. They know that she 73 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:17,359 Speaker 1: left the hospital and she's not there anymore. They know 74 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: that for sure, and I'm like, okay, well, what are 75 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: you guys going to do? Well, we're trying to find her. 76 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:27,559 Speaker 2: She was afraid Cassandra might come back and follow through 77 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 2: with the plan. 78 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 1: This lady literally came to my house with butcher knife 79 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: and tried to kill me. 80 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:37,720 Speaker 2: But the cops weren't necessarily convinced, well, we can't prove that. 81 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:39,840 Speaker 1: We can't say that that's what happened. We don't know 82 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:40,919 Speaker 1: if that's what happened. 83 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 2: She didn't feel like they were taking her seriously. And 84 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 2: now Cassandra was out of the hospital roaming free, Angelique 85 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 2: decided to take matters into her own hands. 86 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: I think when people think of survivors and they think 87 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 1: of people that are victims, they think that we go 88 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: into this weird moment of poor me, or like I'm scared. 89 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,599 Speaker 1: It's not like that. It's quite the opposite. We go 90 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 1: into this moment that we need to figure out what happened. 91 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: I was ready to investigate. I was very much I 92 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 1: watched way too much SVU. I know what to do. 93 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:18,599 Speaker 1: That's how I felt. 94 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:23,359 Speaker 2: She got to work online, so I started googling my 95 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:25,600 Speaker 2: little heart out and found things about her. 96 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 1: I found this news article on her, and I found 97 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 1: out that they stated that she was a danger to 98 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:34,600 Speaker 1: herself and society. So that was like a little clue. 99 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 2: And then she found a surprising connection. 100 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: Her cousin is somebody that I knew from middle school, 101 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 1: and I called the cousin. 102 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 2: Cassandra's cousin had a lot to say. 103 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 1: Found out from the cousin. She said, my cousin's crazy. 104 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 1: My cousin is very dangerous. That's when everything started to click. 105 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 2: After the fire, Cassandra was brought to the hospital because 106 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 2: she was having contractions. Angelique had a friend who worked 107 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:06,719 Speaker 2: at that hospital at the time, a friend who was 108 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:10,160 Speaker 2: willing to break the rules to help Angelique get some answers, 109 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:14,719 Speaker 2: and what her friend saw in Cassandra's medical record was 110 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:15,480 Speaker 2: a bombshell. 111 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:19,279 Speaker 1: She actually saw the test that she took at the 112 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: hospital and they were able to confirm that she was 113 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:23,279 Speaker 1: not pregnant. 114 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:28,599 Speaker 2: Up until that moment, Angelique fully believed her friend was pregnant. 115 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 2: In fact, that had been the basis of their entire relationship, 116 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:36,599 Speaker 2: But now she had confirmation that it was all a lie. 117 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 2: She felt like this information was important to her case. 118 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 1: I gave it to the cops and they were like, oh, 119 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:44,800 Speaker 1: how did you find those? And I'm like, are you serious? 120 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 1: Right now? It felt like they were not taking my 121 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 1: case seriously, and it was extremely frustrating. 122 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:54,520 Speaker 2: For the cops to move forward, Angeliqu would need to 123 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:58,920 Speaker 2: get Cassandra on the record contradicting her original statement to police. 124 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: Because her story was that we were in the room, 125 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 1: we were smoking marijuana, we ashd out my pipe and 126 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 1: it set my closet on fire. 127 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 2: So they asked Angelique to do a recorded phone call. 128 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 1: My goal was to get her to admit that she 129 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 1: was in the room alone before the fire started. So 130 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: I had to call her and ask her, how are 131 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 1: you doing? How did everything go at the hospital? I 132 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 1: had to pretend like I had no idea what was happening, 133 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:25,640 Speaker 1: because she didn't know what was happening. She has no 134 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 1: idea that I found the butcher knives. So she admits it. Yes, yeah, 135 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:31,640 Speaker 1: I remember when I was in the room. Yeah, you 136 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:34,239 Speaker 1: were in there by yourself. Yeah, I was there by myself. 137 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 1: And that was the goal to get her to say 138 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 1: all of those words. 139 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 2: Then Cassandra started to catch on. 140 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 1: I could tell that she wasn't alone. There was somebody 141 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:46,360 Speaker 1: in that house with her, because we all heard a 142 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:49,240 Speaker 1: man say, hang up the phone and then click. 143 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 2: Angeline got what she needed, but it was anti climactic. 144 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:56,600 Speaker 2: The police basically thanked her and sent her on her way, 145 00:07:57,120 --> 00:07:59,440 Speaker 2: but almost immediately from. 146 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 1: That moment, I had went into labor. 147 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 2: She went straight to the hospital. Because Cassandra still hadn't 148 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:10,240 Speaker 2: been arrested. The hospital took precautions to keep Angelique safe. 149 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,440 Speaker 1: They have police outside my room. They had me down 150 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 1: as Jane Doe. You have to have a code to 151 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 1: get inside my room. 152 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 2: She spent four days in labor. 153 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:22,800 Speaker 1: I probably should have had a sea section, but I 154 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 1: think they were trying to be mindful of the whole 155 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: situation that I had just gone through. 156 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 2: After all, someone had wanted to steal her baby and 157 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 2: brought a butcher knife to do it. So she was 158 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:35,439 Speaker 2: adamant about not having a sea section. 159 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 1: As much as I wanted my son to be born. 160 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:40,320 Speaker 1: I felt like the only safe place was inside of me. 161 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:43,720 Speaker 1: But at the same time I was feeling like, okay, 162 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:45,680 Speaker 1: well inside of me isn't safe because someone just tried 163 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:47,720 Speaker 1: to kill me. So I was going through all of 164 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:48,479 Speaker 1: these emotions. 165 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 2: The stress had led to high blood pressure, and now 166 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 2: Angelique had pre eclampsia. It was a high risk birth. 167 00:08:57,320 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 1: Finally, my water broke and it was just an intense birth, 168 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 1: as heart rate had dropped at some point. It was honestly, 169 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:08,679 Speaker 1: it was scary. 170 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 2: Finally her son was born. He was healthy and in 171 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:14,679 Speaker 2: her arms. 172 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 1: I went through such a traumatic event that seeing him 173 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 1: alive was just a blessing. I could not imagine him 174 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:24,440 Speaker 1: being with anybody else. 175 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 2: She hoped that after he was born she'd find some relief. 176 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 1: And finally, once everything is okay, I still can't sleep 177 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:37,200 Speaker 1: because a I'm freaking out on nurses, making them show 178 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,760 Speaker 1: me their badges too. I think I'm destined to die, 179 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 1: and I just want to spend whatever moments I can 180 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 1: with my son. And that's all I remember. Actually being 181 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:48,000 Speaker 1: in the hospital is I was worried about someone coming 182 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 1: to steal him or me dying. 183 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:53,199 Speaker 2: While she was in the hospital, her family worked to 184 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:56,439 Speaker 2: renovate her bedroom to repaint it and make it livable again, 185 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 2: but after she was discharged, she struggled to relax at home. 186 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:05,920 Speaker 1: Coming home is such a blur. I didn't go back 187 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 1: in my room. I refused to go in my room, 188 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 1: so I slept on the couch. 189 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:13,400 Speaker 2: Josh, her son's father, stepped up to help. He wanted 190 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:16,680 Speaker 2: to be a safe place for Angelique, so every night 191 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:19,719 Speaker 2: he stayed with her on the couch next to their 192 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:20,320 Speaker 2: new baby. 193 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 1: He helped me feel safe when nobody else made me 194 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 1: feel that way. 195 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:27,959 Speaker 2: But even with him by her side, she couldn't let 196 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 2: her guard down. 197 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:31,679 Speaker 1: I just wasn't myself. There was nothing that was right 198 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 1: or okay about me. 199 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:35,840 Speaker 2: When Josh or her family tried to talk to her 200 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 2: about how she was doing, Angelique shut down. 201 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: I pushed everybody away. Josh would say something and I 202 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:47,120 Speaker 1: would be like, I'm fine, but really up dying inside. 203 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:52,199 Speaker 2: She wanted Cassandra arrested, but the cops weren't sharing any 204 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:53,640 Speaker 2: information about the case. 205 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:56,439 Speaker 1: I felt like I was completely in the dark when 206 00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 1: it came to my investigation. Anytime I try to talk 207 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:01,880 Speaker 1: to somebody, nobody could give me answers. And it was 208 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:04,960 Speaker 1: just super discouraging because I had gotten out of the 209 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:07,640 Speaker 1: hospital and I expected to feel safe, and I didn't 210 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:09,920 Speaker 1: feel safe. I expected for her to be caught. She 211 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:10,640 Speaker 1: wasn't caught. 212 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:14,240 Speaker 2: She didn't even feel safe taking a walk around her neighborhood. 213 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:18,360 Speaker 1: I just never left my house. I stayed inside of 214 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 1: my house and never left. 215 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:23,280 Speaker 2: One night, about a month after her son was born. 216 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:26,000 Speaker 1: I fell asleep one night and I remember my mom 217 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 1: coming into the room. It had to have been like midnight, 218 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:33,240 Speaker 1: and she had woken me up and she said here 219 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:35,960 Speaker 1: and she like hands me the phone, and I'm like, 220 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:37,000 Speaker 1: who is it. 221 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:40,080 Speaker 2: It was the lead detective on her case, and she 222 00:11:40,240 --> 00:12:01,920 Speaker 2: was like, we got her. Cassandra had been arrested. After 223 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:05,280 Speaker 2: weeks of waiting. Angelique was losing faith that Cassandra would 224 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 2: ever be held responsible, but then she got the call. 225 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:13,920 Speaker 2: Law enforcement was finally able to make an arrest. Cassandra 226 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 2: was facing multiple charges. 227 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:20,680 Speaker 1: She is being charged with attempted first degree murder, which 228 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 1: means that it was plotted. It was planned out, so 229 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 1: tempted first cream murder, arson burglary. She said She's going 230 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:30,440 Speaker 1: to go away for a very very long time. 231 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 2: Cassandra had made a full confession. 232 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 1: And I started crying and I said, she admitted it, 233 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:38,719 Speaker 1: and they said, yeah, she admitted it. 234 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 2: She admitted that she'd planned to murder Angelique in order 235 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 2: to steal her baby. Cassandra was now behind bars and 236 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:49,160 Speaker 2: she would stay there until there was a trial, and. 237 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:54,280 Speaker 1: I just remember crying and being so happy. That was 238 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 1: the first night that I actually slept. 239 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 2: The news brought a lot of relief. Angelie could breathe 240 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:05,360 Speaker 2: a little easier, but the arrest didn't take away the trauma. 241 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 1: As a mom. You imagine they're going to be this 242 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:10,959 Speaker 1: happy family. You're going to teach him how to say mama. 243 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:12,560 Speaker 1: You're going to teach them how to walk. You're going 244 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:14,840 Speaker 1: to teach him, you know, figure out if his first 245 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 1: food is going to be peaches or carrots. All of 246 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 1: these things are things that I thought about. I don't 247 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:23,600 Speaker 1: remember any of them. It's like it was all stolen 248 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: from me. 249 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:27,320 Speaker 2: She recently saw a video that was taken when her 250 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 2: son was one. He was learning how to walk for 251 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:31,120 Speaker 2: the first time. 252 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:34,079 Speaker 1: And I say it, Oh my gosh, it's his first steps. 253 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:37,800 Speaker 1: I can't I don't remember that video. I don't remember 254 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 1: where that video was taken what time, like I and 255 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:45,800 Speaker 1: I was standing right there talking in the video. 256 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:49,480 Speaker 2: In the wake of everything, she wasn't living. She was 257 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:52,440 Speaker 2: surviving my family and my friends. 258 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:55,160 Speaker 1: They distracted me. I can't tell you how because I 259 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:58,200 Speaker 1: don't remember, but I know that I survived. 260 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:01,000 Speaker 2: When everything went down and League had to fight for 261 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:03,920 Speaker 2: her case to be taken seriously by the cops. And 262 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:07,120 Speaker 2: after Cassandra was arrested, she didn't hear anything from law 263 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:10,120 Speaker 2: enforcement or prosecutors for twelve months. 264 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:13,440 Speaker 1: I just remember thinking, like, when is this going to happen? Like, 265 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:15,800 Speaker 1: what's going to happen? Maybe I should just be thankful 266 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 1: that she's in jail, but nobody has communicated anything with me. 267 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:22,560 Speaker 2: That was until she got a call from the District 268 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:23,480 Speaker 2: Attorney's office. 269 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:26,600 Speaker 1: They tell me, we're going to be completely honest with you. 270 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:29,560 Speaker 1: We don't think this should go to trial. And I 271 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:32,040 Speaker 1: was completely thrown back, like what do you mean this 272 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:36,360 Speaker 1: shouldn't go to trial? They said, well, through our investigation 273 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:38,600 Speaker 1: and through everything that we've done, the cops did not 274 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:40,760 Speaker 1: reader her miranda rights at the time of the confession, 275 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 1: and I was like, wait, what, Like, what do you 276 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:49,800 Speaker 1: mean that he didn't reader her miranda rights. 277 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:54,520 Speaker 2: The full confession police got out of Cassandra wouldn't be 278 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 2: admissible in court. 279 00:14:56,920 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: If we go to trial, her whole confession is thrown out. 280 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:05,800 Speaker 1: Can lose this case because it's not illegal to carry 281 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:10,280 Speaker 1: butcher knives around the city. Technically, it's not against the law, 282 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:14,240 Speaker 1: and we cannot pinpoint everything in here without her confession. 283 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:18,720 Speaker 2: But Angelique knew there was physical evidence from the fire. 284 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:20,880 Speaker 1: And I was like, well, what about her fingertips on 285 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 1: the kiund the candle, and they said yes, they said, 286 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:25,120 Speaker 1: we want to try to do a plea bargain. 287 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 2: The DA's office informed Angelique of Cassandra's defense strategy. She 288 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 2: was going to plead insanity. 289 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 1: The picture that they painted for me was that she 290 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:39,320 Speaker 1: was there to take my child because she was mentally 291 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 1: ill and believed that my baby was her baby, that 292 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 1: she was pregnant and this was her child. 293 00:15:46,040 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 2: And in that moment, Angelique almost felt bad for her. 294 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:52,680 Speaker 2: The prosecutor said that Angelique could. 295 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:55,360 Speaker 1: Decide do you think she should go to prison or 296 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:57,360 Speaker 1: do you think she should go to like a mental hospital, 297 00:15:57,880 --> 00:15:59,480 Speaker 1: And I asked if they can give me some time 298 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:00,160 Speaker 1: to think about that. 299 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:05,200 Speaker 2: She slept on it and realized that without the confession. 300 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:07,760 Speaker 2: The prosecution's hands were tied. 301 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:11,520 Speaker 1: I didn't feel good about this whole thing, but I 302 00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 1: really trusted, like they're the professionals. This is their job, 303 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 1: Like who am I to tell them what's right and 304 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:18,680 Speaker 1: what's wrong. 305 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 2: The state offered eight years in a psychiatric hospital. 306 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:24,920 Speaker 1: And so that was our plea bargain. 307 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:29,800 Speaker 2: At the sentencing hearing, Angelique was able to read a 308 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:31,080 Speaker 2: victim impact statement. 309 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:35,720 Speaker 1: I wrote this long letter to her. I said, I 310 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 1: don't want to live my life hating you. I don't 311 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:40,280 Speaker 1: want to have hate in my heart. I don't think 312 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: I can live my life that way, and so I'm 313 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 1: going to tell you that I forgive you because they're 314 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:50,400 Speaker 1: mentally ill. I ended it that way just from my 315 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:55,920 Speaker 1: conscience for me. A judge told her, Cassandra, is there 316 00:16:55,960 --> 00:16:57,560 Speaker 1: anything that you would like to say to this woman? 317 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:02,160 Speaker 1: She stood up, put her hands together. She looked at 318 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:05,480 Speaker 1: me and said, no, your honor, and sat back down. 319 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 1: No remorse. That felt like a slap in the face. 320 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:13,199 Speaker 1: That felt like I want to take back everything that 321 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:17,679 Speaker 1: I said to you. That was the last interaction I 322 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 1: had with her. 323 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:23,960 Speaker 2: Almost immediately it became a media circus. 324 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:27,280 Speaker 1: Everybody was outside my door. I had every single news station. 325 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 1: I had people calling me. I had Andrewsick Cooper calling me. 326 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:32,399 Speaker 1: I don't even know how they got my number. 327 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:37,080 Speaker 2: Everyone wanted to run with the story. Angelique became reduced 328 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:40,119 Speaker 2: to a headline. It felt like something was being taken 329 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:42,320 Speaker 2: from her, not on her terms. 330 00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:44,639 Speaker 1: If I could take back some of the shows that 331 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:47,640 Speaker 1: I did, like doing the Doctor Phil show, I would 332 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:49,919 Speaker 1: have not done that. Absolutely, he used me for my 333 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:53,320 Speaker 1: trauma to get views. 334 00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:58,800 Speaker 2: A few years after sentencing, a local journalist came over 335 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:02,359 Speaker 2: to interview Angelique the story and he was the first 336 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:03,440 Speaker 2: one to ask her. 337 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 1: Have you ever read the police report? And I was 338 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:10,000 Speaker 1: like no. At the end of our interview, he took 339 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:12,159 Speaker 1: the police report and he gave it to me and 340 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:14,400 Speaker 1: he said, there's some stuff in here that I don't think. 341 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:16,880 Speaker 1: You know, you should read this. 342 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:20,440 Speaker 2: But at the time Angelique wasn't ready to hear it. 343 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:23,080 Speaker 1: So I know I did. I shredded it. I shredded 344 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:27,240 Speaker 1: it all. I shredded everything. That is what trauma does. 345 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 2: It wasn't until eight years later, when Cassandra was released 346 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:36,080 Speaker 2: from the psychiatric hospital, that Angelique finally revisited the case. 347 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:42,680 Speaker 1: And that intrigued me to open everything back up because 348 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:44,680 Speaker 1: I felt like I was in a better state of mind. 349 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:47,119 Speaker 1: I was older. I feel like I'm ready to start digging. 350 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:49,720 Speaker 1: So I went deep. I went deep down this rabbit hole. 351 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:51,679 Speaker 1: I went to the police station. I pulled all the 352 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:54,560 Speaker 1: police reports, I pulled the tapes, I pulled anything that 353 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 1: they would give me, and I sat in my car 354 00:18:57,080 --> 00:19:00,520 Speaker 1: for hours listening to these CDs, listening to me like 355 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:04,000 Speaker 1: Me Talk, listening to all, listening to everything. It took 356 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:05,360 Speaker 1: like four to five hours. 357 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:11,879 Speaker 2: She started with Cassandra's taped confession and on it she 358 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:16,160 Speaker 2: learned Cassandra's story what Cassandra was really doing the night 359 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:17,120 Speaker 2: the fire started. 360 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:21,400 Speaker 1: The fire was never meant to happen. It was an accident. 361 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:25,120 Speaker 2: Her plan was to kill Angelique with a butcher knife 362 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 2: and steal her baby. That's what she was preparing to 363 00:19:28,600 --> 00:19:31,040 Speaker 2: do when she sat Angelique on her bed in the 364 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 2: dark and counted to three. 365 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:36,000 Speaker 1: She said that she felt a moment of weakness when 366 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:37,919 Speaker 1: she was going to stab me. When she had me 367 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 1: bent over, she had her hand on my shoulder, she 368 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:43,080 Speaker 1: had the knife physically to my back, and she was 369 00:19:43,119 --> 00:19:44,760 Speaker 1: ready to push the knife inside of me. 370 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:47,960 Speaker 2: But then Cassandra got cold feet. 371 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:52,240 Speaker 1: When she started counting. She started to feel guilt, and 372 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 1: she says, I started to second guess it if I 373 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:56,040 Speaker 1: could actually do it. 374 00:19:56,840 --> 00:20:00,399 Speaker 2: When Angelique stood up, the initial plan fell apart, so 375 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:02,159 Speaker 2: Cassandra moved on to Plan B. 376 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:05,480 Speaker 1: She said the fire was supposed to be a distraction, 377 00:20:06,119 --> 00:20:08,560 Speaker 1: and she was hoping that I would be overcome with 378 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:11,440 Speaker 1: smoke and I would pass out. Then she'd be able 379 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:13,399 Speaker 1: to perform the C section with me being passed out 380 00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:13,959 Speaker 1: on the ground. 381 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:18,360 Speaker 2: Cassandra thought it would be easier to kill Angelique if 382 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:22,159 Speaker 2: she were unconscious. The whole thing was like a horror movie. 383 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:28,280 Speaker 1: It's actually diabolical. It's almost unbelievable though, that an eighteen 384 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:29,320 Speaker 1: year old can come up with this. 385 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:35,000 Speaker 2: It turns out the plan wasn't entirely hers, or at 386 00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:37,879 Speaker 2: least that's what Cassandra stated in her confession. 387 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:41,439 Speaker 1: At the very end before they cut the tape, she 388 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 1: talks about how she was a part of. 389 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 2: A gang, and in this gang, Cassandra confessed that she 390 00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 2: worked for one man in particular. 391 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:53,280 Speaker 1: She was his like his possession basically, and she had 392 00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:54,959 Speaker 1: to do what he told her to do, and it 393 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:57,359 Speaker 1: was all his plan and she was just doing what 394 00:20:57,440 --> 00:20:58,080 Speaker 1: he asked. 395 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:01,520 Speaker 2: Cassandra claimed that she was part of a gang operation 396 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:07,200 Speaker 2: and her boss had a plan to sell Angelique's baby. 397 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:10,680 Speaker 1: She says he has done this before, that they sold 398 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:12,920 Speaker 1: babies in Mexico, and that they were going to get 399 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:17,000 Speaker 1: a certain cut. She talked about how much they would 400 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:19,000 Speaker 1: get for the baby, and that they were going to 401 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 1: stay and live in Mexico. 402 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:24,560 Speaker 2: This was all news to Angelique. These tapes suggested an 403 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:28,159 Speaker 2: alternate motivation for why Cassandra did what she did, and 404 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:31,200 Speaker 2: it didn't match up with what Angelique heard from prosecutors 405 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:34,280 Speaker 2: back when they offered a plea deal. At the time, 406 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:38,280 Speaker 2: her understanding was that Cassandra was mentally ill and thought 407 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:39,320 Speaker 2: the baby was hers. 408 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:42,960 Speaker 1: But in the confession, not once did I ever hear 409 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:45,240 Speaker 1: her say that she wanted the baby for herself. 410 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:50,080 Speaker 2: And there was something else in Cassandra's confession another thing 411 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:53,680 Speaker 2: Angelique heard that didn't square with what the prosecutors told her. 412 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:57,160 Speaker 1: I heard them reader her miranda writes. 413 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:17,600 Speaker 2: Prosecutors had told Angelique that Cassandra's confession wasn't admissible in 414 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:22,000 Speaker 2: court because no one had read Cassandra her miranda rights. 415 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:27,199 Speaker 2: While reviewing the case file. Years later, Angelique discovered that 416 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:31,240 Speaker 2: wasn't true. They had read her her Miranda rights. 417 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:34,400 Speaker 1: I even have it circled where it says they read 418 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:36,639 Speaker 1: her rights and then it goes on to her telling 419 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:37,359 Speaker 1: her confession. 420 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:42,520 Speaker 2: This supposed procedural error was the reason why Angelique was 421 00:22:42,560 --> 00:22:46,119 Speaker 2: okay with the plea deal. So why did the prosecutors 422 00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:49,679 Speaker 2: tell her this story? Well, Angelique has a theory. 423 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:52,800 Speaker 1: I think that we were used as a plea bargain 424 00:22:53,119 --> 00:22:55,920 Speaker 1: to help catch bigger fish. I don't think anybody will 425 00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:58,920 Speaker 1: ever be able to confirm that for me, But if 426 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:02,399 Speaker 1: she had more information to help them catch bigger people, 427 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:05,320 Speaker 1: they don't have to necessarily tell me all the information 428 00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:06,400 Speaker 1: on what they're working on. 429 00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:10,280 Speaker 2: If Cassandra was telling the truth, maybe she could help 430 00:23:10,359 --> 00:23:14,240 Speaker 2: law enforcement catch higher ups in her gang. Angelique got 431 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:17,359 Speaker 2: back to all the phone calls. Cassandra had taken the 432 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:20,760 Speaker 2: ones in Spanish, and she'd taken a call in the 433 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 2: middle of the attempted murder. Angelique had believed she was 434 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:28,440 Speaker 2: talking with Edwin, her husband. So was Edwin the mastermind, 435 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 2: the gang leader. The cops met with Edwin and they 436 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:34,200 Speaker 2: were very surprised to. 437 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:37,439 Speaker 1: Hear he states yeah, she's someone I dated. No, we 438 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:41,240 Speaker 1: haven't talked in years and we're not together. So this 439 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:43,760 Speaker 1: guy Edwin, who she told all of us was her husband, 440 00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:45,879 Speaker 1: was not actually her husband. 441 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:50,120 Speaker 2: Edwin was a real guy that Cassandra had dated, that 442 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:53,840 Speaker 2: he hadn't talked to her in years. So who was 443 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:59,159 Speaker 2: actually on the other end of the phone In her confession? 444 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:03,359 Speaker 2: Cassandra does name someone besides Edwin, but the cops couldn't 445 00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:06,160 Speaker 2: find a record of this other guy, and that's where 446 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:10,680 Speaker 2: the police file ends. For Angelique, it felt like they 447 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 2: gave up. She's had to make peace with the fact 448 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:16,720 Speaker 2: that she might never know who Cassandra was working with, 449 00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:19,480 Speaker 2: she might never get the full story. 450 00:24:20,560 --> 00:24:23,000 Speaker 1: I think about it a lot. I contemplate all the 451 00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:26,399 Speaker 1: time if I want to know the truth, and I 452 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:29,200 Speaker 1: always go back and forth with yes, no, yes, no. 453 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:32,280 Speaker 1: The thing is, it's not going to do anything except 454 00:24:32,359 --> 00:24:36,000 Speaker 1: for maybe piss me off. So I just stopped looking 455 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:36,720 Speaker 1: for answers. 456 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:40,600 Speaker 2: She's come to accept that the police report may just 457 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:44,119 Speaker 2: be another version of the story, and can she even 458 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:49,480 Speaker 2: trust Cassandra's taped confession. After all, Cassandra was clearly unwell 459 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:53,600 Speaker 2: by the time Angelique heard the tapes. Cassandra had served 460 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:57,560 Speaker 2: her entire sentence. Angelique felt like reopening the case against 461 00:24:57,600 --> 00:24:59,680 Speaker 2: Cassandra would be a dead end. 462 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 1: I found out way too late. We're talking about nine 463 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:05,959 Speaker 1: years now. I can't go back and bring them all this. 464 00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:09,879 Speaker 1: But I just thought every person there was doing their 465 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:12,480 Speaker 1: job for me. I thought this was a big case. 466 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 1: I thought this was abnormal. I've never heard of fetal abduction. 467 00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:18,680 Speaker 1: Like I just figured that everyone was in my best 468 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:20,720 Speaker 1: interest for her. 469 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:24,800 Speaker 2: Reopening the case would only bring back bad memories. The 470 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:26,240 Speaker 2: damage was already done. 471 00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:29,840 Speaker 1: She stole my first few years between me and my son, 472 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:32,679 Speaker 1: and I'm never going to get those back. There's no 473 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:36,080 Speaker 1: money in the world that could pay for that. She 474 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:37,320 Speaker 1: stole that away from me. 475 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:40,440 Speaker 2: Her healing process wasn't linear. 476 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:45,639 Speaker 1: There were moments in my life where I remember being like, 477 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:49,000 Speaker 1: I'm healed, I feel so much better, I'm going to 478 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:52,480 Speaker 1: be just fine, and then like five weeks to go 479 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:55,040 Speaker 1: by and I would be like, I'm so triggered right now. 480 00:25:56,040 --> 00:25:58,760 Speaker 1: And it's just been a cycle. It's been a vicious cycle, 481 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:03,120 Speaker 1: and that's what healing is. It's been almost fourteen years 482 00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:05,760 Speaker 1: since my trauma, and I feel like I just had 483 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:07,919 Speaker 1: an epiphany just a couple of weeks ago. 484 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:11,160 Speaker 2: She recently drove past the house where the crime happened 485 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:14,840 Speaker 2: for the first time in years, and instead of feeling 486 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:18,639 Speaker 2: overwhelmed and triggered, she felt a powerful calm. 487 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:22,280 Speaker 1: I realized, it's just a house. That's all it is. 488 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:25,040 Speaker 1: It's just a house that something bad happened to me in. 489 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:27,439 Speaker 1: But I'm here, I'm alive, I'm okay, and I have 490 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:31,040 Speaker 1: my son. You can't push or rush healing. 491 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:34,639 Speaker 2: Josh, her son's father, has been a constant in her 492 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:36,000 Speaker 2: life and in her healing. 493 00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:38,560 Speaker 1: If you were to ask me where my safe places, 494 00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:41,920 Speaker 1: it's with him. I am scared of everything. It can 495 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:43,920 Speaker 1: be as simple as I don't want to get into 496 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:47,679 Speaker 1: a lake because I'm scared of their drown I'm scared 497 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:51,080 Speaker 1: of life because something traumatic happened to me when I 498 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:53,280 Speaker 1: had no idea that it could happen. So because of that, 499 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:57,680 Speaker 1: my husband has been there to push me into different 500 00:26:57,720 --> 00:27:00,320 Speaker 1: directions that I don't think I could have done without him. 501 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:05,640 Speaker 2: They dated throughout their first few years as parents. 502 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:08,040 Speaker 1: And come twenty twenty, we decided why not. So we 503 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:11,240 Speaker 1: actually got engaged in twenty twenty and we got married. 504 00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:14,560 Speaker 2: She and Josh had two more children together. 505 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:17,360 Speaker 1: We live a happy life all together. We're a very 506 00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:21,400 Speaker 1: big sport family. We do football, softball, soccer, ride quads, 507 00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:23,120 Speaker 1: go hiking, go to the lake. 508 00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:27,119 Speaker 2: The sun she nearly lost is now thirteen. 509 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:30,560 Speaker 1: When I look at my son, I just think about 510 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:33,639 Speaker 1: how lucky we are and how blessed we are, because 511 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:38,080 Speaker 1: not everybody gets this happy ending. I always tell him, 512 00:27:38,119 --> 00:27:41,119 Speaker 1: you were absolutely meant to be here. I don't know 513 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:43,320 Speaker 1: what life has to offer you, but I just know 514 00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:45,359 Speaker 1: you were meant for greatness. 515 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:49,960 Speaker 2: Angelique's also become an advocate for preventing fetal abduction. 516 00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:52,679 Speaker 1: When I was seventeen years old, I didn't know that 517 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:54,600 Speaker 1: this was even a crime that could happen. I didn't 518 00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:56,080 Speaker 1: know that because it was never talked about. 519 00:27:56,720 --> 00:27:59,959 Speaker 2: Feudal abduction is incredibly rare. There have been less than 520 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:03,160 Speaker 2: twenty documented cases in the US in the last decade, 521 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:07,800 Speaker 2: and of those cases, very few of the victims survived. 522 00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:11,240 Speaker 1: My motivation is not just to get my story out 523 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:13,440 Speaker 1: so that other mothers can understand that this is something 524 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:17,199 Speaker 1: that happens. I feel like it's an opportunity for me 525 00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:20,240 Speaker 1: to be a voice for not myself and my son, 526 00:28:20,359 --> 00:28:22,919 Speaker 1: but also for the mothers that are not here, that 527 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:24,520 Speaker 1: didn't get to survive this crime. 528 00:28:25,119 --> 00:28:28,959 Speaker 2: She's also done something astounding. She wanted to help others 529 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:33,040 Speaker 2: grow their own families, so she became a surrogate. 530 00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:36,040 Speaker 1: Carrying a baby who wasn't mine and allowing that baby 531 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:39,400 Speaker 1: to leave my body and go to somebody else was 532 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:43,120 Speaker 1: a huge step for me and absolutely healed me in 533 00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:45,920 Speaker 1: ways that I didn't know that I needed to be 534 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:46,400 Speaker 1: healed in. 535 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:51,080 Speaker 2: We end all of our weekly episodes with the same question, 536 00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:53,440 Speaker 2: why are you telling your story? 537 00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:57,280 Speaker 1: I think about how that one second that it took 538 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:01,120 Speaker 1: for me to turn around is literally what saved my life. 539 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:03,240 Speaker 1: I would not be here if I did not listen 540 00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:07,200 Speaker 1: to that gut feeling. It's okay to be naive. It's natural, 541 00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:10,520 Speaker 1: it's who we are. We're only human. Just listen to yourself, 542 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:13,280 Speaker 1: trust yourself a little bit more, sit there and start 543 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:16,280 Speaker 1: to learn what that intuition feeling is and listen to it. 544 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:19,040 Speaker 1: Maybe it'll help save somebody's life. 545 00:29:22,360 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 2: On the next episode of Betrayal. 546 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:28,239 Speaker 3: I get a phone call and it was is this 547 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:31,760 Speaker 3: Dawn Harris and Astidy as it is? And they said, 548 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:34,440 Speaker 3: this is so and so with the Dallas FBI office. 549 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:36,200 Speaker 1: We'd like for you to come in. 550 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:41,680 Speaker 4: If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal 551 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:44,600 Speaker 4: team or want to tell us your Betrayal story, email 552 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:48,960 Speaker 4: us at Betrayalpod at gmail dot com. That's Betrayal Pod 553 00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:53,480 Speaker 4: at gmail dot com. We're grateful for your support. One 554 00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 4: way to show support is by subscribing to our show 555 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:58,960 Speaker 4: on Apple Podcasts and don't forget to rate and review Betrayal. 556 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:02,360 Speaker 2: Five star views go a long way. A big thank 557 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:06,040 Speaker 2: you to all of our listeners. Betrayal is a production of. 558 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:09,280 Speaker 4: Glass Podcasts, a division of Glass Entertainment Group, in partnership 559 00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 4: with iHeart Podcasts. The show is executive produced by Nancy 560 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:17,040 Speaker 4: Glass and Jennifer Fason, hosted and produced by me Andrea Gunning, 561 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:21,800 Speaker 4: written and produced by Monique Leboard, also produced by Ben Fetterman. 562 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:26,640 Speaker 4: Associate producers are Kristin Mercury and Caitlin Golden. Our iHeart 563 00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:30,120 Speaker 4: team is Ali Perry and Jessica Krincheck. Audio editing and 564 00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:31,040 Speaker 4: mixing by Matt. 565 00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:35,960 Speaker 2: Del Vecchio, additional editing support from Tanner Robbins. Betrayal's theme 566 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:40,719 Speaker 2: composed by Oliver Bains. Music library provided by mybe Music 567 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:44,480 Speaker 2: and for more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, 568 00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:48,240 Speaker 2: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.