My name is Victoria. 11 years ago, I made the acquaintance of a young man who went by a single name: Carlos.
I had moved to Idaho Falls from California a few months before we met, and found myself a bit out of place in a small, conservative town. Carlos and I fast became friends. He wasn’t popular in the conventional sense: he certainly didn’t play sports, and wouldn’t be caught dead at a Homecoming Game (though he did take me to my Junior Prom a year later, lol) and he was gay; but everyone seemed to know and love him.
Out of a modest upbringing, he became an incredibly talented artist who remained humble, a friend you could count on, and a lover of both people and animals (I lost track of the number of stray dogs we would find and return to their owners over the years). He took the challenges of being a gay man in a small town in stride, and always forgave those who didn’t understand his “lifestyle”. An old, gentle soul, he understood things well beyond his years, and channeled his every energy into making better the lives of people around him.
But it was this latter quality which most recently put him in peril:
At the beginning of this year, a man started hanging around the business where Carlos worked. He said he was an old friend of his boss and had just returned to Idaho Falls so, naturally, Carlos received him amicably. Carlos helped the man with several rides around town, and the two even hung out a few times.
In the early morning hours of January 12, 2016, Carlos picked the man up and gave him a place to stay for the night. They fell asleep in Carlos's bed. What happened between the two men in the early morning hours in Carlos's bed is now in question. But what is not in question is that the man attacked Carlos, beating him so severely that one of his eyes is still off-center. The altercation eventually woke roommates who intervened, but not before Carlos sustained two black eyes, as well as injuries to his head, back, neck, nose and ribs.
On January 14th, Idaho Falls Police officers showed up on Carlos’ doorstep and arrested him on suspicion of a “Crime Against Nature”, just two days after HE was attacked in his own bed. Since his arraignment on January 15th we, Carlos’ family and friends, have been doing everything in our power to help him fight back legally and speak out publicly against what has happened to him.
When local news picked up the story, the outpouring of homophobic and otherwise hateful rhetoric on their websites’ comment sections was sickening. A legal team has been hired out of Boise, and we’re currently working to hire a private investigator. The total emotional cost of this experience remains to be seen but, more immediately, the financial burden is beginning to weigh heavily.
It is here we ask for your help. Our campaign seeks donations to cover all costs related to his case: medical, travel, legal, etc. so that Carlos and his team can continue working to defend his innocence and his reputation. Before all else, he is a Son, a Grandson, a Brother, an Uncle, a Nephew, a Cousin and a Friend. Of all the people I’ve known in my life, Carlos has been the most giving with his time and money to help others. Now it’s our turn to help him so he can move forward and carve out some semblance of a normal life once more.
Every single dollar helps, so $1 donations are just as much appreciated as $10, $20 or $100 donations. Carlos cannot (and shouldn’t have to) do this alone, but together we can forever change the course of his future for the better.
Thank you for taking time out of your day to help our Carlos.
With sincere gratitude,
Victoria
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