A mother faced a former boyfriend in court Tuesday accused of kidnapping, marrying and having a child with her teen daughter over the course of a decade.
Isidro Medrano Garcia, 42, of Bell Gardens, faced one felony count of forcible rape, three felony counts of lewd acts on a minor and one felony count of kidnapping to commit a sexual offense, according to the Orange County District Attorney's office.
The defense and prosecution painted two vastly different pictures. Prosecutors said she was brainwashed, living for a decade in fear. The defense for Garcia say the girl, now 25 years old, was a rebellious teen.
In the latest twist in the trial, Elizabeth Smart may be called as an expert witness. Smart faced a similar situation — she was abducted at knife point at 14 years old and held captive for nine months.
The mother of the woman, whose identity wasn't being released, grinned from ear-to-ear as she recounted the day she reunited with her daughter.
"We hugged. We kissed. We cried," she testified. They talked for hours and made plans to visit each other on weekends without the knowledge of Garcia.
Prosecutors said Garcia, who lived with Rosa and her daughter 10 years earlier, kidnapped the teenager and changed both of their names using fake documents. They said he told the girl she could not leave him because she would be deported.
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The couple lived in a Bell Gardens apartment where they married and had a child, a daughter who is now three. Neighbors said they never suspected there was anything wrong.
A missing-person report was filed in 2004 — the year of the alleged kidnapping, according to prosecutors.
He allegedly forced the woman into marriage in 2007 and had a child with her in 2012.
But defense attorneys contend after the reunion in April 2014 between the mother and daughter, they plotted to find a way to stay in the U.S. by claiming they had been abused by Garcia.
The defense asked Rosa if she went to visit an immigration lawyer before contacting the police once she reunited with her daughter. Rosa said she did.
Prosecutors say the teenager, now 25 years old, was a mental captive even if she wasn't physically held against her will.
It wasn't immediately clear if Smart would be allowed to testify.
The jury could hear from the victim as early as Wednesday.
