Dad Tries to Save His Little Daughter from Choking, Ends up in Prison for 15 Years

A travel blogger was doing a YouTube expose on Mexico's Villas Otoch Paraiso neighborhood in Cancun. He intended to show off the community that was said to be the most dangerous and violent in the area, but what he accidentally found was far more intriguing.

On October 12, 2022, after being dropped off at the market in Villas Otoch, travel blogger Timmy Karter walked down the rows of street vendors looking for something to eat and someone to give him a haircut. He came across a man named Alex selling food.

Before conversing with Alex, Karter stopped to ask if the meat on display was chicken. The street vendor was exceptionally forthcoming and revealed he knew how to speak English well because he'd lived in the US in Raleigh, North Carolina, for 28 years before being deported back to Mexico. When Karter asked why he was deported, Alex began to tell him his story.

Alex had studied, worked, lived in an apartment with his wife, and welcomed two daughters in the US. However, at age 24, his life drastically changed when his oldest daughter became sick at the babysitter's and didn't want to eat.

The three-year-old girl managed to eat ham and eggs when she got home but started choking and vomiting ten minutes later. Seeing that the nearest hospital was five minutes from their home, Alex reacted quickly by driving her there, hoping to get her prompt assistance.

Sadly, the little girl passed away on the way to the hospital. Alex found out about her death 30 minutes after they arrived at the hospital, and he was blamed for it.

Why Alex Was Accused of His Daughter's Tragic Death

Within nine days of the tragedy, Alex was arrested and told his baby girl died because of him instead of being allowed to mourn in peace.

He was given three charges, two of which were for not calling an ambulance and leaving his six-month-old daughter alone at home when he brought his older daughter to the hospital. The Mexican man was sentenced to 15 years in prison and he served it from 2004 to 2019.

"I had to do something for my daughter!" Alex explained to Karter of his decision not to call an ambulance the moment his daughter started choking. He knew the hospital was nearby and it would take the ambulance longer to get there.

Resigned to his imprisonment, Alex told his wife, who was at work at the time of the choking incident, that they should get divorced. He didn't want her to waste her life waiting for him. She was still young at 24. But he didn't expect what happened next.

A Surprise Visit in Prison

While serving his sentence, Alex stayed away from the lives of his young family by not writing to them. He didn't want to know about them or his sister as he was struggling with depression. But ten years later, something incredible happened.

His ex-wife had found him and wrote him to say that she remarried and had another child. He also received a photo of his younger daughter, Stephany, who he last saw when she was month -old before he went to prison. This gave Alex new hope and dedicated himself to her.

A week before he was supposed to be released, his ex-wife told him he would get a surprise. The father of two initially thought she was going to send him money, but the day after he heard the news, he had a visitor.

Alex had no idea who his visitor. She saw a girl of about 15 or 16 walking towards him, and then she began to cry. When he asked her why she was in tears, she explained that he was her father! The 16-year-old was Stephany.

Stephany's father [Alex] admitted not to feeling Mexican anymore, having grown up and lived most of his life in the US, including paying his taxes there.

It turns out Stephany had wanted to meet her father which delighted Alex who cried too. Even Karter admitted that he was about to cry hearing how things played out!

Sadly, the reunion wasn't meant to be forever because, soon, Alex would be forced to leave the US and Stephany behind.

What Happened after Alex Was Released from Prison?

In 2019, after serving his time, Alex was released from prison and deported to his native country of Mexico. The street vendor revealed he had no chance with a judge because his lawyer openly told him that being Mexican would work against him.

Although he was born in Mexico, Alex didn't feel like he belonged there, having spent most of his years in the US, including paying his taxes there. However, he couldn't return after being deported for fear of getting arrested and serving more time.

Alex admitted he harbored suicidal thoughts when he was told about the imprisonment and deportation, but fortunately, he didn't act on them.

Despite living in a neighborhood with cartels and dangerous happenings, mainly at night, Alex focused on staying out of trouble. He worked as a street food vendor in the Cancun market and hoped that things would work out and he could have a happy life again.

Alex's story touched Karter that he gave him some money, which the father initially tried to decline. The blogger was so severely affected by the street vendor's story that he couldn't document Villas Otoch Paraiso the way he wanted but still walked around, showing how friendly and giving the residents were.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org.

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