In August of 2005 Oscar Bonilla did what any father would do, he went after the men who were allegedly abusing his 11 year old daughter. The police called it kidnapping and harm but this afternoon a jury of 9 disagreed and acquitted both Bonilla and Manuel Chinchilla.The allegation is that Bonilla along with Chinchilla took the accused abusers to Burrell Boom where they were roughed up and later taken to the police station. The case caused national outcry when police arrested the 11-year-old girl for abetment to kidnapping. The charges against her never it to court. After his acquittal Bonilla told us he would do it all over again, if it means protecting his daughter.
Oscar Bonilla, Acquitted
"I feel good because I am a free man now after the charge I got from kidnapping and harm so I want to say thanks to God and everybody who supported me in this because I know from this thing began that I wasn't guilty. I didn't do anything wrong, I was just protecting my girl because how this started is that my girl disappeared and all these bad things happened so now I feel good."
Keith Swift,
If you had it to do over again, would you still do what you did?
Oscar Bonilla,
"Well to protect my kids, I would do anything."
The alleged abusers were never charged for the incident involving Bonilla's daughter. One of the former accused is however in jail on remand for murder, he is also allegedly an affiliate of the Central American gang MS-13. Bonilla and chinchilla were defended by Richard Stuart while Kamar Henry prosecuted. Justice John Troadio Gonzalez presided.
