These moments allow him to recognize me as his father, which means the world to me.
I am a proud father of five children—three boys and two girls, ranging in age from 3 to 16 years old. I was sentenced to 22 years: 11 years for involuntary manslaughter and an additional 10 years for a gun enhancement. This stems from an incident where I was allegedly involved in a road rage accident. An illegal immigrant collided with the suspect vehicle, leading to a shooting that tragically resulted in the victim’s death. My now-wife and I were arrested on murder charges.
While being booked, my wife discovered she was pregnant with our first child, who is now three. At the time, my then 7-year-old daughter was with us. I have not seen her since being detained in the homicide unit. My wife was charged with allowing a person to shoot from a vehicle, for which she received a sentence of three years with half-time served. After four months of incarceration, while still pregnant, she was released to a housing program.
Our son is on the autism spectrum (commonly referred to as Asperger’s syndrome). Although I haven’t been allowed to meet him in person due to visitation restrictions, I’m incredibly grateful to maintain a relationship with him through phone and video calls. These moments allow him to recognize me as his father, which means the world to me.
This experience has taught me that life is precious and that everything can change in the blink of an eye. It has forced me to reflect deeply on my reality and the lessons it holds. Thank you for listening to my story today.
