LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – A Las Vegas woman credits the community for saving her from her abuser after undergoing months of domestic violence.
Stephany Baez says Las Vegas police officers, and nearby non-profit Case De Luz, went above and beyond when she asked for help.
Baez says she was being abused physically, emotionally, and mentally for months. She says after they parted ways, her abuser was trying to invade her home by breaking into her apartment.
“Honestly it got to a really dark point at that time, and I really didn’t have any more hope,” she says.
She says to protect her 5-year-old-son, she decided to get help by confiding in nearby non-profit Casa de Luz.
“There was a lot of crying, a lot of tears, but in that she was basically saying, ‘I’ve been in an abusive relationship,’ and she was kind of at a loss for what to do next,” Casa de Luz Community Outreach Director Connor De La Vega says.
De La Vega says they immediately jumped into action, not only calling Metro Police, but helping her fill out a Temporary Protective Order, and even boarding up her windows to prevent her abuser from breaking in.
“It’s mind blowing because I’d think I would get that kind of support from my family, and the fact that I got it from strangers, it’s crazy to me,” Baez says.
The officers who responded to Casa De Luz’s call were Officers Ruben Saenz and Rockney Ricafrente. They tell FOX5 they made it their personal mission to protect Baez and her son after hearing her story.
“I was raised in a household where I just had my mom, and I had my three little sisters, so all I ever had around me was women,” Saenz says. “Stuff like that happens and I take it personally.”
They say after meeting Baez, they continued to see calls for service at her address. With all of the reports taken, they had enough probable cause to arrest her abuser..
“We would always check on Stephany first to see if he came back, and of course he would, so we would set out on the train tracks, nearby gas stations or businesses, and go look for him,” Ricafrente says.
Baez says, growing up with a fear of police, she never would’ve imagined two officers would be so instrumental on her path to safety.
Now, with her abuser out of her life for good, she’s hoping her story will motivate other women in similar situations to ask for help.
“At first, I was kind of ashamed of my story because of everything that I’ve gone through. I was embarrassed by it. But now I see I’m a domestic violence survivor,” Baez says. “I would like to inspire other parents or mothers that that type of life is not okay, and that there is help, and you just can’t be afraid to speak up.”
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