# Wow... truth is stranger than fiction - "Could this be happening? A man's nightmare made real" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 27, 2011, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990 "2011-06-27T03:47:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990/41 "2011-06-28T04:21:25Z")
As a woman, and as a sexual assault and abuse survivor, I am appalled by this West woman’s behavior. If I believed in such things, I’d hope she’d burn in Hell. This vindictive, evil person’s false accusations not only almost destroyed Gonsalez’s life, but also exploited the plight of real rape victims. How many people, after hearing what West did, are gonna look askance at the next woman who says she was raped? Just the fact that she would do something like this so callously, to satisfy her own selfish desires, takes my breath away. West is an absolute failure of a human being. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990/42 "2011-06-28T07:17:27Z")
[Second half of the story.](http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-accused-20110628,0,7173125.story?page=1) Lot more details than the synopsis in the OP. > [@](#): > > In this assault case, the puzzle pieces don’t fit > A detective can find nothing to place Las Vegas banker Louis Gonzalez III at the scene of a vicious attack at his ex-girlfriend’s house in 2008. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990/43 "2011-06-28T09:00:19Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > They both sound pretty terrible. > [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Didn’t read all the article but how’d she tie herself up? > [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Yeah, that’s what I meant. He’s the kind of guy who’d hit her, she’s the kind who’d lie about it…they sound meant to be. > [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Well, she also said he hit her, though I guess we don’t know if that really happened. > > If his story that all he did was hit her windshield, I don’t think those actions are equivalent. Just that they both sound very low class, trashy types. > [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > I just think the kind of guy who would break a windshield in anger sounds like he could very well have been violent. She could have been lying about the other thing, too–I just don’t think it’s so inconceivable that he’s also abusive. > [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > I’m not thinking bad things about him because of the accusation–I’m thinking based on what he’s actually done. A guy who reacts by smashing a windshield in anger sounds like kind of a thug–I can definitely picture him doing something violent. Riiiight. So first they both sound pretty terrible, then you admit you haven’t actually read the story, then when you are called on your initial statement you say that what you meant was that he’s the type of guy who’d hit her, then when you are called on that you say that the type of guy who would break a windshield might not so inconceivably be abusive (gosh, you’re right, you might not inconceivably be abusive either), and then we learn that at this point in the game your thinking is “based on” him smashing a windshield. And we have always been at war with Eastasia. Even West could get her story straighter than you. Right now I’m thinking **tdn** is right on the money. You jumped straight into an assumption and you have been backing and filling to try to justify your assumption ever since. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990/44 "2011-06-28T09:35:24Z")
Thanks Princhester, I was going to do the same thing with all of his posts but I’m glad you beat me to it. Of course the kind of person who would beat me to that is probably an abusive jerk. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990/45 "2011-06-28T10:38:22Z")
Well, you said the word “beat”. We both sound pretty terrible. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990/46 "2011-06-28T12:15:37Z")
My BIL’s ex-wife mounted a viscous campaign against him in her zeal to win custody of her kids back. She ultimately prevailed, even though: a) Their marriage ended when she left him, and their 3 kids, for a man she met on the internet. One day he came home to find her with her bags packed. She declared that their marriage was over, that she’d found the love of her life, someone who “got” her, and that she was going to California to be with him. No mention of the kids. She returned within a week when she discovered that her internet lover was a woman posing as a man. Honestly, you can’t make this shit up. b) After their divorce, his ex-wife decided she wanted him back once he started seriously dating my SIL. She tried to seduce him, and when he didn’t fall for it, she flipped out and attempted suicide. (She called him and said that she’d taken a bunch of pills.) When even that failed to get him to return to her, she wrote him an email telling him to come get the kids because she needed to start focusing on HERSELF for a change. So he came and got the kids, and kept them for nearly a year while continuing to pay child support to her. c) After filing a motion to change him to the primary custodian, which would also stop the child support checks she was living on (she was unemployed), she suddenly decided that she loved the kids and wanted them back. And she was going to get them back come hell or high water. She started her campaign with a series of calls to CPS complaining that she feared that he was molesting/abusing his son. That resulted in 3 visits from a social worker to their home. d) She called the kids’ teachers and asked them to pay special attention to her kids and to document any signs of trauma or abuse because she feared he was harming them, mentally and physically. She also told the school that she had court documents listing her as the primary custodian, and that if he tried to pick up the kids, as he’d done for years if they had baseball/soccer practice after school, he was to be arrested. e) In the meantime she married a guy who was subsequently fired and sued by his ex-employer for filling out, and pocketing, fraudulent car rebates. As a result, neither of them had jobs. f) Her own father wrote a letter to the mediator telling her that he thought his daughter was unstable. In her findings, the court-appointed psychiatrist wrote that the father seemed “bitter” and that mother seemed “sincere.” She believed that the kids should return to their mother. End result was that the kids were ripped out of the stable home and placed back with their fruit loop mother and her new free-loading husband. The guy who had been decent and stable and loving the entire time was left paying tens of thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees for making the mistake of fighting her. In an amusing follow-up, it’s been five or so years since the kids went to live with their mother. The two oldest kids are out of the house and over 18. So the ex-wife is left with the troubled son. Recently, she had the audacity to call her ex-husband and ask him to take custody of him because she couldn’t handle him anymore. He said, “You’re asking the guy who \*molested \*your son to take him back?” Her response, “Don’t be ridiculous. I did what I had to do to get my kids back.” ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990/47 "2011-06-28T13:23:03Z")
I just don’t think it’s such a stretch that he’s also been abusive in the past. Smashing a car windshield qualifies as intimidating, abusive behavior to me. But if it makes you guys feel better, she’s a lying sack of shit, etc., etc. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990/48 "2011-06-28T13:25:57Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > I just don’t think it’s such a stretch that he’s also been abusive in the past. Smashing a car windshield qualifies as intimidating, abusive behavior to me. But if it makes you guys feel better, she’s a lying sack of shit, etc., etc. Yeah, it pretty much makes me feel better. Does it make you feel better to blame the victim? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990/49 "2011-06-28T13:27:57Z")
I’m not blaming him for this fake rape attempt. I’m just pointing out that they both seem to be people of questionable character. It makes sense that they were together, that’s all. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990/50 "2011-06-28T13:38:51Z")
You still haven’t read the article, have you? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990/51 "2011-06-28T13:42:24Z")
False allegations are scummy, but West went to shocking lengths to try to get him sent to jail for a very long time. It’s terrible, and she ought to be on trial herself. The civil judgment won’t help much since I think it only covered his legal expenses and she declared bankruptcy. **Freudian Slit** , I think if Gonzalez had ever sneezed on West, it would have come out earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990/52 "2011-06-28T13:42:30Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > You still haven’t read the article, have you? Yeah, what’s your point? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990/53 "2011-06-28T13:50:22Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Yeah, what’s your point? My point is that you seem bound and determined to find something wrong with Gonzalez. He smashed a windshield, therefore he must have repeatedly hit her. You’re not using logic here. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990/54 "2011-06-28T13:52:48Z")
Look, Hitler killed 6 million Jews and **Freudian Slit** may be a bit prejudiced against this guy. All I’m saying is, there’s a lot of blame to go around! ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990/55 "2011-06-28T13:55:18Z")
To me, someone who smashes a windshield in the course of arguing with someone else is being abusive and intimidating. If he definitely never physically touched her, then yeah, she probably is a worse person than he is (in so far as we can define “better” or “worse”). ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990/56 "2011-06-28T14:02:22Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > (in so far as we can define “better” or “worse”). Broke a windshield instead of hitting the woman that was hitting him: Better. Staged her own rape in order to put an ex-boyfriend in prison for life so that he couldn’t get custody of his own son on weekends: Worse. That was easy! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990/57 "2011-06-28T14:08:00Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > To me, someone who smashes a windshield in the course of arguing with someone else is being abusive and intimidating. I think that’s a potential interpretation of that situation, but we don’t know much about it. We do know he was arrested and charges were dropped. Given the lengths she went to to make it look like he attacked, tormented and raped her, it’s kind of hard to believe she wouldn’t have told the court or the police that he used to beat her during either their custody disputes or during this travesty. If you’re going to continue to comment on this situation, I really think you should read the articles. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990/58 "2011-06-28T14:10:56Z")
I have read them, but I don’t think there’s anything more for me to say on the topic. ---
**Author:** ![DHMO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@DHMO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DHMO)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990/59 "2011-06-28T14:13:13Z")
> [@GreedySmurf](#): > > Excuse my ignorance of US law, but presumably having a judge rule you are “factually innocent” is a specific statement that he was 100% innocent of the charges, as opposed to say there being insuffeceint evidence, or a simple statement of charges were dropped? > > I wonder if he gets a certified letter or something to that effect? I’m serious, what if he went back to his employer and said here you go. Didn’t do it, any chance of my job back? From the article link: > [@](#): > > In January 2009, nearly a year after Gonzalez’s arrest, Leiderman called him excitedly: The judge had sided with them. Gonzalez was soon holding a certified copy of the judge’s order declaring him factually innocent. > > He drove to the bank and put it in a safe-deposit box. He figured he would need it if he wanted to continue in banking, where the blot on his record would otherwise scare off future employers. It would help in his fight to win custody of his son. But it hardly made him whole. It made it even more illogical, in his view, that West was free. > [@](#): > > He had his freedom. Now he wanted a French dip. Then he wanted to get as far away from Ventura County as possible and start figuring out how to reclaim everything else he’d lost: his son, his job, his name. > > **…** > > The job turned out to be the easiest. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990/60 "2011-06-28T14:16:19Z")
As far as the tying up part goes, the second half of the article says West’s husband was at work when she faked the assault. So she did tie herself up. It’s suggested she ordered bondage gear for that purpose. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-could-this-be-happening-a-mans-nightmare-made-real/586990.md?page=4)