No, nothing like that happened, Limon Martinez replied. You know why? Elizabeth had been incarcerated nearly 17. Monday, Dec. 3, 2012. Gloria Herrera, left, and her daughter Elizabeth Ramirez in a photo taken during a visit in prison. It turned my stomach, she said. But because only copies of the documents are available, the experts reports were inconclusive. Detective Matjeka was a homicide detective covering for detective T.R. Get our latest in-depth reporting straight to your inbox. It was like living in a labor camp, he said. I would not have one with her., Did you have a gay relationship with Anna?, Did you have a gay relationship with Cassie?, That doesnt mean you have to be together., Well, maybe Im confused. Today, Vasquez works with the Texas Innocence Project to overturn other wrongful convictions. Vasquez said she feels an obligation to them. You can chip in for as little as 99 cents a month. Elizabeth Ramirez was four months pregnant when she heard a knock at the door. This makes us one of the biggest by prevailing local standards. She told me about a man who is constantly in relationships with women who take advantage of him. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Question ( 92735) Answer ( 32) Liz kind of distanced herself from all of us, Kristie recalled. Do you know anything about where she learned it? Serafina asked. You must understand I was threatened, and I was told that if I did tell the truth that I would end up in prison, taken away, and even get my ass beat. Partners must notify. Kristie Mayhugh, seen here Sept. 4, 2012, is incarcerated at the The girl's father, Javier Limon, claims that shortly after bringing them back to San Antonio from Denver in 1992, they were caught acting out sexually with dolls, which led to their disclosing these events to him. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. Waiting to solve 5. The crowd cheered. The letters refer to Elizabeth as My Little Angel and include bits of poetry. Here's why dogs involved in fatal San Antonio mauling were returned to owner after prior attacks, Tense moment involving Budweiser Clydesdale at San Antonio Rodeo goes viral online, Family of man killed in San Antonio pit bull attack launches online fundraiser for funeral costs, Video of Texas school shooting survivor's American Idol audition goes viral, DPS sent at least 3,000 drivers licenses to organized crime group targeting Asian Texans, By Karen Brooks Harper, The Texas Tribune, Texas gets failing grade in study about state's efforts to get lead out of schools' drinking water, How Texas activists turned drag events into fodder for outrage, A critically-acclaimed documentary in the case had been critical in drumming up support and awareness for the so-called San Antonio Four, Scroll to read more San Antonio News articles, widely-acclaimed documentary on the San Antonio Four case. He knew what was going to hurt me the most, she told me. "I'm a single mom raising kids, living on the streets," she testified, becoming emotional on the stand. One of them, Elizabeth Ramirez, had a profile on the website WriteAPrisoner.com. San Antonio El Berrendo San Ricardo Santa Luca San Roberto Palo Blanco El Capricho Las Minitas El Guerreo El Porvenir Jess Ortiz El RecuerdoEl GuerreoEl Guerreo A statue of a praying angel stands near Maria Vasquez, right, in her living room where Vasquez prayed daily for her daughter Anna Vasquez. Rosemary recounted years later that Javier threatened her family. Elizabeth Ramirez, the aunt, and her friends Anna Vasquez, Cassandra Rivera and Kristie Mayhugh are fighting to clear their names in the bizarre case that spurred talk of Satanism when they were accused in 1994. If a woman abuses a young child, it often means the perpetrator has a mental illness. Roughly a year later, in late October 2013, attorney Mike Ware filed writs for all four women. At one point, he had as many as 40 of them, and he would haul 5-gallon buckets from a nearby river for them to drink. They needed something to justify why Rosemary left me. At first, Anna was a little distrustful of Elizabeths new friend. A version of this story ran in the January 2014 issue. The relationship could remain secret only so long, and when Elizabeths mother found out, their already strained connection suffered further. It was nearly silent, except for little clusters of words between the sobs. Morales was serving time for attempted murder at a Lancaster prison around the time of Limon's death, and was using a cellphone to communicate with fellow gang members, along with his girlfriend, Josie Alejandre. The allegations that arose in 1994 stunned Elizabeth Ramirez. Anna had seen Elizabeth unable to deal with the interests of men before. All four of the women were out as lesbians, a fact that colored the investigation into the accusations and case against them. I was there every step of the way with my kids, he said. Jarrett Morris, who told her she could be facing drug trafficking charges and could lose her kids. At the station, Matjeka asked if she knew a man named Javier Limon and his two daughters. Anna Vasquez, recently released on parole, speaks at a Work-In-Progress screening of "San Antonio Four" a documentary by Deborah S. Esquenazi, about Vasquez and three of her friends, who are still in prison, found guilty of sexual assault of two minors. At this trial, the younger of Elizabeths nieces, Stephanie Limon, who was not a witness at Elizabeths trial, would testify (her name is used here because she has recently spoken to the media about the case). Im your grandmother, Cassie said to her daughters 2-year-old girl. They did. The patriarch of the family, Limon was given as the reason the sisters made the accusations in 1994, according to Ramirez's testimony at her trial for sex abuse. It is probable that [Javier] wrote it, said one, adding that there is not enough evidence to make a definite identification or elimination. Another explained, It is one thing to attempt to imitate someones signature once or twice, but an entirely different and exponentially more difficult thing to attempt to successfully imitate a large quantity of extended writing.. They found Elizabeth guilty in just a few hours, but their debate about punishment lasted into the evening. Editor's note: Violence at a local sporting event last made national news when South San basketball player Tony Limon received a five-year prison . Cassie, who worked at AutoZone and frequented car shows, thought about becoming a mechanic. We were sitting in a wide, sunny visiting room at the Hobby Unit. Both later described it as love at first sight. The children in family aren't allowed to be at family gatherings with Anna present. She says she didnt pay because he wouldnt let her see the kids. Limon was the boyfriend of Ramirez's sister at the time. There was a problem saving your notification. Otto was initially skeptical; he asked her the same questions in letter after letter, to see if her answers remained consistent. It was really an offensive question.. Limon Martinez and her husband believe the accusations against them are in retaliation because she is now working to help exonerate her aunt and the other women. She never stopped sending him letters. Gina Kim covers crime and courts for Santa Maria Times. Javier Limn Customer Service Manager & Chief Digital Officer (CDO) en Volkswagen Financial Services - Mxico The prosecutors, as well as Javier when we spoke 15 years later, accounted for the inconsistencies by saying the girls were young children who could hardly be expected to keep facts straight. Anna Vasquez, left, appears safe in her brother Robert Vasquez's arms as she returned home after serving 12 and a half years in prison. Anna counseled her, You need to tell somebody, because thats not right. Another friend says Elizabeth kept telling me over and over that she was afraid something was going to happen with Javier. Thank you for reading! A tearful Anna Vasquez, left, embraces her mother Maria Vasquez. She tried to get out, but the door was locked. To be honest with you, she said, I feel so bad for my brother, because I tell him hes got the worst luck with women.. Cassie and Anna tried to meticulously recreate what had happened the week of the alleged crimes. An allegation was filed with Child Protective Services that she and her husband were fighting violently in front of their young children and that was grounds for removal to foster care. Pedro Pascal was born in Santiago, Chile. She warned her daughter not to take care of Javiers daughters. Anna Vasquez hugs one of her older brothers, Robert Vasquez, as they embrace each other for the first time in 12 and a half years on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012. Statis. Matjeka typed her answers into a computer. When Javier got home, the girls told him the whole shocking story of being held down and raped, he said. Visitors give TX state park final farewell after land sold, Dallas judge revives sexual misconduct suit against Jerry Jones. They were each sentenced to 15 years, but the judge decided they could remain out of prison until their appeals had been exhausted. They couldnt get me drunk or doing anything illegal. He and Rosemary had gone through a messy custody battle over the kids after she moved to Denver and began a relationship with a former friend of Javiers named Oscar Aguirre. Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. He is expected to testify this week in a case in which one of his daughters is fighting allegations of child abuse. His parents sought asylum in Venezuela when he was five after dictator Augusto Pinochet rose to power. Now it was Anna who had wielded the gun, not Elizabeth. By Shifts at AutoZone. About a month after he sent Elizabeth a letter, Otto came home from work to find her response in the mail. In other ways, though, her life was starting to look up. "I thought you weren't supposed to face charges, per the agreement?" Elizabeth had told Detective Matjeka about Javiers advances, but he hadnt thought much of it. Michelle Mondo published a story strongly implying that Javier filed the allegation as punishment for Stephanies recantation. I love them. Gloria has no unkind words to say about her daughter, but she never describes her as shrewd. Our new endorsement for Texas Attorney General. Anna found a job at a tortilla factory and tried to raise awareness about the case. Ive kind of prepared myself for the feelings he might have, that I abandoned him., Several weeks later, the night she was released, she met him for dinner at Pizza Hut. Thats so rude, she said. At the station, Matjeka asked if she knew a man named Javier Limon and his two daughters. I showed the letters and samples of Javiers handwriting to several forensic document examiners. He liked to party and her workaholic lifestyle drove them apart, but not before she became pregnant with his son. Elizabeth had one theory. Besides his work as producer has also dabbled as an interpreter and has released three studio albums, Limn, Son de Limn and Mujeres de Agua. Javier says she went to Mexico to evade paying child support. Then, only a couple minutes later, the spokesman came back out breathless. Did anyone pull out a butcher knife? the couple's lawyer, Casie Gotro, asked her. It involved four women from San Antonio. She now says that didn't happen. No. Anna Vasquez, just released from prison, stops at the "Anna Wall" in her mother's home, joking that the photo of her in a crib as a baby, was the first picture of her behind bars. Anna Vasquez had played sports with Elizabeth in high school. On the court, the other girls would call out her nickname, Little Liz! Anna Vasquez, left, sits next to long time friend Denise Tristan as the family prepares to play a game of loteria, a traditional Mexican game. When Ramirez rebuffed him, her family claimed, Limon retaliated by coaching his daughters to accuse her of molestation, and the girls ended up accusing Ramirez's three friends as well. Elizabeth was stunned. She said that her father Javier had coached her to make the accusations. His primary company is a group of huskies. Alejandre countered that it was difficult to pick up calls while she was on the streets, couldn't pay her phone bill, and she reiterated that she only sold drugs to support her children. Gloria Herrera has taped a picture of her daughter Elizabeth Ramirez, as a young girl, to a rosary and placed it around a statue of Jesus displayed in a shrine, Friday, Dec. 3, 2010. In its ruling, the state's highest criminal court blames the saga on a vindictive man named Javier Limon, the girls' father and Ramirez's one-time brother-in-law. I miss everyone cause Im not able to see and be home with them, one read, but most of all I miss my son. Ramirez told the court that the accusations against her and her friends came after she spurned his advances for marriage. My sister., The more I interviewed the estranged couple, ferrying bits of information between them, the clearer the duality became: Javier was either a vindictive, wrathful man or a caring father who was being smeared by Elizabeths family. As a teenager Otto had hitchhiked across the continent, but by 25 he was tired and wanted mental discipline. Anna Vasquez, one of the four San Antonio women fighting to clear their names in the 1994 sexual assault of two sisters, was released from prison on parole, from the Crain Unit in Gatesville, TX. Stephanie Limon Martinez, center, was just 7 when she and her older sister said the women sexually assaulted them. A sentence of 37 and a half years was a compromise between more and less lenient jurors. Were they lesbians? Around the same time, Anna was put on maintenance duty and assigned to fix the lights in Cassies cell. Gresser claimed thatAlejandre often missed calls from Morris, and still continued selling or using drugs. They worked together at a nursing home, where the residents would constantly tell Gloria what a caring and charming girl she had raised. She claimed Morales never told her who Limon owed money to but that she did know there had been a business deal between Morales and Limon that went awry and soured their relationship. San Antonio police arrested Zion J. Limon, 20, in connection with the shootings. The most painful memory of that day was being separated from my newborn son, she later wrote. I tried writing the innocence projects and Oprah and Maury Povich and Montel, Anna told me, anybody who would listen. As Elizabeths mother, Gloria, remembers it, her daughter handed over the letters from Javier and said, Mom, hes after me. Gloria invited Javier out to breakfast and confronted him. Her father Javier called, and as VL assured him that everything at Aunt Lizs house was going just fine, her aunt held the gun to her head. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Gay rights activists treated them like rock stars. Our whole relationship was based on him controlling me, she said. An appreciative Anna Vasquez, right, looks up to her brother Chris Vasquez at her homecoming. what happened to javier limon san antonio Updates - Experience in Banking and Finance Updates - Experience in Energy Law About ETAH-NAN & Co. ETAH-NAN & C is a bilingual (French and English) Law Firm created in 1985. The court battle this week pitted Stephanie Limon Martinez and her husband, Joseph Martinez, against her father, Javier Limon, who in court Friday accused them of domestic violence and. Kids' removal called payback for recanting, Woman fighting to clear name in 1994 sex assault is paroled, Parole OK'd for woman fighting for exoneration. The sheriffs spokesman came out and explained that the jail still needed a form from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. They ask her to keep secrets and instruct her to call at specific times, between 7 and 7:15 a.m. or 5:45 and 6 p.m. I hope these letters are not upsetting, disturbing, or making you feel uncomfortable, one reads. Wed, Nov 23, 2016 at 12:35 pm, Owner of San Antonio bar Moses Rose's launches GoFundMe to cover court costs as talks stall, San Antonio gourmet hot dog spot The Dogfather quietly opens second location. Otto found an organization called the National Center for Reason and Justice, which was created in the wake of the 1980s-era satanic ritual abuse scandals to advocate for people wrongfully accused of harming children. We didnt understand it, and we didnt like it. Elizabeth remembers being racked with guilt as Cassie, Anna and Kristie faced trial together a year later, in February 1998. She also testified that she felt scared as she was high on methamphetamines, stressed and confused when told there was a murder investigation. They traded cars so each could get to work, bought hot dogs for the kids and played basketball at the park. But little happened for a year. At H-E-B they met Cassie Rivera, who, before coming to terms with her attraction to other women, had a son and a daughter and then split with their father. Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012. Prison was a place of endless routine, and so she started one of her own. Two days after their release, the women appeared at a hastily arranged press conference. Cassie remembers her lawyer telling the women that they would surely win and coaching them not to jump up and down when the jury announced an acquittal. Elizabeths mother called her grandson to tell him that his mother would soon be released. Cassandra Rivera, seen here Sept. 5, 2012, is currently in the Hobby Unit in Marlin, Texas. He checked out a video from the college library on female sexual predators. Mr. Limon took his daughters to the Alamo Children's Advocacy Centre where they underwent a physical examination for evidence of . He had no idea who she was. One night Elizabeth stole some of her mothers prescription anxiety pills and overdosed. The cameramen turned on their night-lights, which reflected off the glass of the jail door. Matjeka told Elizabeth that if she had committed a crime, her sondue in about five monthswould probably be taken by the authorities. Cassie recalls that Elizabeth promised Javier she would marry him. Some of the discrepancies came from Serafina Limon, Javiers mother, who initially reported the girls outcries. Elizabeth and Kristie moved in together as friends. Were all friends. The women cooperated with authorities and vehemently denied that any abuse had taken place. Alejandre testified that she was told by Morales that Limon was killed because he avoided paying money he collected from drug transactions and went into hiding. I thought you said that if youre gay and you were friends, thats a gay relationship?, No. At the station, Matjeka asked if she knew a man named Javier Limon and his two daughters. Anna Vasquez (from left), Elizabeth Ramirez, Kristie Mayhugh and Cassandra Rivera have been fighting to clear their names in a bizarre 1994 sex assault case. By late 2013, he had cycled through several careers and was working for a security company and studying criminal justice at a community college in Stafford, near Houston. Dr. Kellogg has told the Bexar County District Attorneys office that her initial claims at the trial are outdated and that she wouldnt offer the same testimony today. While the names of those who make an outcry to CPS aren't public, the affidavit and testimony state that the case stems from a call to CPS in early August that claimed that the couple had a history of domestic violence, including Joseph Martinez pulling a butcher knife on his wife and her threatening him with pepper spray. Elizabeths lawyer, Freddy Ruiz, tried to get VL to say that she was mixed up, and that the gun had actually been wielded by her father Javier in Colorado. The new technology was fascinating, but so were social mores. He may even take the stand and say again what he has always repeated, that he did what any parent would do. 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