Law & Order Special Victims Unit s21e13 Episode Script
Redemption in Her Corner
1 In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses .
.
are considered especially heinous.
In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
You grew a beard? I'm in Iowa, trying to blend in.
[LAUGHS.]
Good luck.
Why are you there? Election fraud.
We're living in a dystopian nightmare.
Enough about me.
How are you? I heard about Tucker.
You know, it's been rough.
A lot of loss lately.
Time is just flying by.
Every day.
I'm back after the primary.
Dinner? On me? I'd like that.
Oh, oh, oh, before I go, happy birthday.
[CHUCKLES.]
You're early.
I wanted to be the first.
Regards to the squad.
And Noah.
Barba sends his regards.
How's he doing? He's in Iowa, tilting at windmills.
Where's Kat? Oh, I let her out early so she could warm up for a boxing match.
We're all going, remember? Oh, I totally forgot.
Um - I have an appointment.
- An appointment? Let it go, Fin.
Meet us after.
You know what, I can't.
Noah has a rehearsal, but wish Kat good luck for me.
She just needs time.
She'll be okay.
Come on, pick it up, pick it up.
[GRUNTING.]
That's right, hook off the jab.
Dance.
All right, swift feet, Esperanza.
[GRUNTING.]
Esperanza, you better save some of that for the ring.
I'm taking you down.
Your cop intimidation tactics are useless.
I'm gonna bury you.
Romeo around? Yeah, in his office.
You backing out? Hey, you just be ready to catch these hands.
All right, all right.
Back to your feet.
Hard pivot.
Romeo, it's Kat.
You got a minute? Just a sec.
- Hey, Cami.
- Hey.
- Hey.
- Hi.
Sorry, the door was locked.
Oh, it was? Maybe Cami did that.
Pobrecita pulled her left shoulder.
I had to pop it back in for her.
Hey.
Focus.
You win tonight, Golden Gloves are within reach.
Right? Forgot to tell you that Val's gonna be in your corner tonight.
Val? I was banking on you.
So is Esperanza.
She's 19.
You're a big girl.
You're gonna be fine.
So that's it for my pre-fight pep talk? [LAUGHS.]
All right, kid, listen, and I shouldn't even be telling you this.
Right? Esperanza's got a weak left hook.
Okay, so what are we gonna do? Hit her with a couple body jabs, right? Pah! Pah! Then we follow it up with your overhand right.
Pah! Make it hard for her to counter.
Boom, boom, boom.
She's done, finito.
Hey, but you didn't get none of that from me.
[FOREBODING MUSIC.]
Hey, Cami.
How's your shoulder? Hmm? Romeo said he had to pop it back in.
Oh.
It's fine.
So who locked the door, you or Hey, SVU, take a knee.
I'm not some after-school special, okay? Quit trying to stir up trouble.
[HIP-HOP MUSIC.]
[OVERLAPPING SHOUTING.]
[SCATTERED CHEERS AND APPLAUSE.]
Hey.
Lot of people here.
Kat any good? She could whip your ass, Counselor.
Do we know anything about this opponent? Hell yeah.
It's my daughter.
Esperanza Morales, huh? Most knockouts in the gym.
Yeah, total killer.
Kat's a stepping stone.
Our money's on that girl from Gowanus.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this elite qualifying match.
Fighting out of the blue corner, the phenomenon from Lebanon, the brute from Beirut, Katriona "I Own Ya" Tamin! [CHEERS, BOOS, AND APPLAUSE.]
And in the red corner, with an undefeated record of six wins and no losses, the Dyckman Street devil, Esperanza "No Hope" Morales! [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE.]
Whoo! Let's fight.
- [BELL DINGS.]
- Box.
[OVERLAPPING SHOUTING.]
Light on your feet, light on your feet.
You got this, Espe! [SHOUTING CONTINUES.]
Come on, girl! Yeah, let's go! [SHOUTING AND CHEERING.]
Kat looks good.
Everybody looks good till they get popped in the mouth.
Come on, Kat.
Let's go! Come on! Keep moving.
Keep moving.
All right, gotta be faster than that, baby! [BOTH GRUNTING.]
Come on! That's it! Finish her! - [GRUNTS.]
- That's it! [CROWD SCREAMING.]
One.
- Two.
- Get up, get up! [ECHOING.]
Three.
Four.
Five.
[MUFFLED SHOUTING.]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
Kat threw down.
Our girl can fight.
Yeah.
She can drink too, huh? That's why I drove her home.
Here she is.
Rocky Tamin.
What's up? - Ooh, nice shiner.
- Uh-huh.
You and Carisi were hitting it pretty hard last night.
You get home okay? You had it, rookie, till you went to the overhand.
Yeah, yeah.
The captain in? [KNOCKING.]
Yeah.
Come on in.
I heard you impressed the squad.
Till I didn't.
- Ouch.
- Yeah.
Everything all right? I'm not sure.
When you first got here, did you start seeing predators everywhere? I did.
I know it takes a while to get your bearings.
What's this about? Before my fight, I went in to see the head trainer, Romeo.
His door was locked, and then Cami, another fighter, 16, came rushing out, and Romeo was tying his sweats.
Okay.
Anything else? He claimed he popped her shoulder back in, but Cami had no idea about that.
It kept me up all night.
Well, if your gut is telling you that something's off, you gotta trust that.
I already told Kat nothing happened.
Well, this'll be quick.
So how long have you been at Romeo's gym? Two years.
It's my home away from home.
The trainers there are intense.
You can't fake anything.
Trainers like Romeo.
He saved my life.
Made me a fighter.
Before him, I was a screw-up.
Now I'm clean, happy, get good grades.
I wouldn't be nothing without him.
Cami, I hear all that, but I'm worried about you.
Don't be.
Romeo was just popping my shoulder back in.
I gotta go.
Book club.
Okay.
Well, Cami, if anything comes up, please call.
- Abuela.
- Cami.
[SPEAKING SPANISH.]
[SPEAKING SPANISH.]
Grandma.
Romeo's a good man.
Before him, Cami didn't have a father in her life.
Now she does.
Tiene un buen corazón.
"Good heart.
" How so? Every time they work or train late, he drives her home.
What time does she get home? He wants her to be a champion, so he trains her like one.
She's so tired, she goes straight to bed.
How's her shoulder? She injured it.
Did she see a doctor? No.
She's fine.
She does 100 pushups every morning.
Okay.
Mrs.
Vega, just in case, would you mind talking to Cami about Romeo and about her shoulder? - Thank you.
- Thanks.
So Romeo's good for this, right? Slow down, Kat.
The grandmother just described grooming, and the shoulder was just an excuse.
Maybe, but there are two scenarios.
One, he's a predator, and two, he's a trainer that cares about his girls.
So now you're telling me not to trust my gut.
No, now we dig deeper.
Who else can we talk to from the gym? Romeo's a trainer.
Yeah, he touches me, but not in a creepy way.
What about Cami? She ever say anything to you about him? They're close.
Romeo plays favorites.
Okay, look, I know you guys are SVU, but Romeo is not like that.
He's not a perv.
Well, Kat says that you're the eyes and the ears of the gym, so you ever notice anything Yeah, I'll hit you up.
I wanna protect my girls just as much as you do.
Great.
Your eye looks better.
Yeah, it was a lucky punch.
Not really.
Romeo said when you come around with that big right, you drop your guard.
- He told you that? - Mm-hmm.
He said I could pivot, hit you with the right.
"No mercy" was his exact words.
But we're still good, right? Yeah, of course.
I don't empty the dryer, those viejas will have their hands all over my clothes, and I can't have that.
- What was that about? - I knew it! He told me to throw that overhand right, and he told her that it was coming.
So he set you up.
It was a message.
To shut up about whatever happened between him and Cami.
Follow up.
- Carisi.
- I was in the neighborhood.
My mom made you soup.
Ribollita.
Oh, thank you.
I'm fine.
Oh.
Listen.
It's my mother's.
All right? Take the soup.
[SCOFFS.]
While you're here, fresh eyes? All right, thanks a lot.
That's the that's the guy who runs Kat's gym, right? Romeo SolÃs.
When I got back into boxing a year ago, everyone told me he was the best.
But? He may be sexually involved with an underage boxer.
Great.
So what's his story? No record.
Box full of awards and honorary degrees.
Who's the complainant? Well, she hasn't disclosed yet.
So what do you have? I interrupted her and Romeo behind a locked door.
They weren't working out.
He also set Kat up.
He tipped off her opponent to Kat's fight plan.
So that's why you got tagged.
Look, I might've lost anyway, but he was pretty pissed when I called him out.
Had her do his dirty work.
Mrs.
Vega.
Cami.
What can I do for you? Cami, tell her what you told me.
You know, why don't we go someplace a little more private? Esperanza grilled me.
That's the only reason I'm here.
So you get the truth from me and not some jealous lies The truth? It's actually none of your business, but Romeo and I are in love.
[DARK MUSIC.]
Okay, so it's more of a relationship.
No, you don't understand.
He's been sleeping with her for two years.
I get it, and Cami, you're 16? I'm old enough to know what I want.
No you're not.
Show her your texts.
All right.
I would like to see those, and I would like to hear more.
- Detective Rollins? - Yeah.
Come this way.
We'll clear this up.
That's no love.
That's just rape.
- So now we arrest him? - Well, no.
Now we get Romeo's side of the story.
- You good with that? - Yeah, go.
Also, I'm gonna need a warrant for their cell phones, his office I got you covered.
Guys, stop it.
I don't know who you think you are Walk away, yo, just walk away.
Disrespecting me when my name's on the door.
- Hey, what's going on? - Everybody step away.
- Whoa! - Hey, that's enough! All right, everybody, back up.
Back up.
Get up! You think you slick? Let's go! Hey, step back! Espe.
Hey, are you there? Look at me.
Are you with me? - Let go of me! - SVU portable to Central.
I need a bus at Romeo's Boxing Club.
- We got a head injury.
- Get your hands off me! - My head! - Romeo, don't move.
- Just let me at him! - Espe, come on.
Let me at him! Maldita perra sucker punched me, man.
No way some chick knocks me out.
Why were you two going at it? It don't matter.
Load of bull anyway.
She say anything about Cami? Ain't nothing to say.
Cami said you two are in love.
[LAUGHS.]
[MACHINES BEEPING.]
It's a Mickey Mouse crush, man.
My girls mistake mentorship for relationship.
It's not a mistake when you sleep with them and sext 'em.
Yo, she's lying.
And your girl, Kat, she set me up.
And why would she do that? My ambulance.
Stop talking.
Esperanza was protecting Cami.
Okay.
Let her tell it.
Esperanza, you can follow me.
She knows why I did it.
You guys weren't doing anything.
She confronted him about Cami and she lost it.
Did she say that Romeo made an admission? We didn't get that far, but I can find out.
Listen, I know that you're worried about her.
Let us talk to her.
So let's rewind.
You talked to Cami.
Yeah.
Like your captain said, if Romeo was molesting her, I had to know.
- Right.
- She's my girl.
- Like a sister.
- Good.
Good, and what did she say? First she denied, but I pushed, and she spilled it all.
She showed me Romeo's texts.
[SCOFFS.]
He's sick.
And she thinks it's love.
She doesn't know it's rape.
She was only 14 the first time they We're aware.
I did not know about her and Romeo.
I mean, he looked out for me when no one else did.
So Romeo never crossed a line with you? No.
He's always treated me like a daughter.
Mr.
Morales.
Hi.
My daughter, Esperanza, is she okay? Yeah, she's doing better than Romeo.
Yeah, but what happened? They got into an argument, and Esperanza landed a punch.
Oh.
[CHUCKLES.]
Well, you know, she's a good kid.
He probably started it.
Where is she? My captain's speaking with her now.
Well, I wanna be in the room.
She's my daughter.
She's not a minor, Mr.
Morales.
Please.
I mean, you know how fast these things turn.
Could you at least give her a message that her dad said to zip it? You know? Wait for a lawyer? Yeah.
Take a seat.
So you went to the gym to confront Romeo.
Yeah, he was coaching Sasha, and I told him we need to talk.
I asked him, how could he be having sex with Cami? And how did he react? He said I was crazy, and that I should mind my own business.
Sorry.
Esperanza's father's here.
Oh, Kat, we're still talking.
Santos? He does not need to be here.
He wants you to get a lawyer.
Officer, you have a sec? Excuse me.
Give me a minute.
Do I need a lawyer? It's in case Romeo presses charges.
Charges? On me? He's the rapist! Let's just calm down for a second, okay? - Kat.
- I know, I know.
- I screwed up.
- Yeah, you did.
It's just, her dad's upset, and I wanna help Espe.
I'm scared for Cami.
And I get that, but it's hard to be objective when you're too close to a victim.
You bond with victims all the time.
I do, and I've had to learn to see things with perspective.
My old captain used to warn me.
He said, "If you're too close to a case, you're not helping the victim.
" Okay.
Speaking of helping the victims, when do we arraign Romeo? He's at the hospital.
They're running some tests.
When he went down, he hit his head.
He's faking injury in order to buy time.
I'll pass that on to Carisi.
You're arraigning me in bed.
Why don't you just pull the plug already? Don't tempt me, Mr.
SolÃs.
Just lay there.
Let me do the talking.
Can you scoot back please? Thank you.
Everybody cozy? Good.
On a count of rape two, a plea of not guilty has been entered.
Have you had time to talk to your client, Mr.
Kluger? I have, Your Honor.
- People on bail? - $20,000, Your Honor.
We also request an order of protection for the defendant to stay away from the victim and his gym.
His livelihood involves close interaction with young girls, one of whom he's accused of raping.
Your Honor, Mr.
SolÃs is in no shape to get back to work, let alone leave this bed.
His only wish is to regain his health and clear his name.
That may be so, Mr.
Kluger, but I'm still granting the T.
O.
P.
Defendant will surrender his passport, and bail is set at $20,000.
- Thank you, Your Honor.
- Mm-hmm.
- How was that? - It was crowded.
- Did he get bail? - He's not going anywhere, Kat.
- Until this goes to trial.
- Cami still in love? She is.
She doesn't want to testify.
Well, keep working her.
If I have to, I'll call her as a hostile witness.
[URGENT BEEPING.]
- What's going on? - I don't know.
Stand back.
Please don't crowd.
Patient's coding.
Call the O.
R.
He was fine.
[NURSES CHATTERING.]
Your friend Esperanza, does she have a lawyer yet? You didn't hear this from me, but she better get one.
So Mr.
SolÃs died of a brain bleed minutes after his bedside arraignment? Well, I don't think that there was a cause and effect.
Subdural hematoma, common among boxers, from a head trauma.
Inflicted by one of the teens he trained with? Yeah, Esperanza Morales, 19, his protégé.
She's a champion boxer and one of the success stories at his gym.
Had he abused her too? Well, she hasn't said that.
She was confronting him about the one victim we know about so far, Cami Vega.
Well, that's moot.
Your rape case just became a murder case.
I interviewed Esperanza.
This wasn't premeditated.
It wasn't even intentional.
Intent or not, a man is dead.
You're gonna have to pivot your investigation.
Murder? [SCOFFS.]
But she's a kid.
She has no priors.
He was a predator.
She I feel for her, but she's a trained boxer.
Unless you can prove she or someone else - was in imminent danger - [PHONE BUZZES.]
Ms.
Morales is facing man two.
Hadid's in a good mood.
Always.
Man two.
How long could Esperanza get? Up to 15 years.
- [ELEVATOR DINGS.]
- See ya.
This wasn't supposed to be my story.
You know, growing up, I always told myself that I'll rise above the narrative they have for people like us, but here I am.
All because I assaulted that mañoso.
Esperanza, it's no longer assault.
There was a complication with the injury.
Romeo died this morning.
[GASPS.]
- I didn't mean to - I know.
But for now, the DA wants to charge manslaughter.
Did you tell them it was an accident? They are aware, but it may not matter.
So I have to ask you again, did Romeo ever do anything to you? No.
I already told you, never.
Okay.
Is there anyone that we can call for you before arraignment? Your father mentioned getting you a lawyer.
No.
No.
I don't want anything from him.
Okay.
Esperanza, is there anything that you remember that could justify this as self-defense? Um What about the other girls who were there? Maybe they heard or saw something? No.
They didn't see anything.
- Give us a minute.
- [SNIFFLES.]
She's hiding something.
Clearly.
How many witnesses were at the scene? A dozen, at least.
So see if anyone knows what happened.
If it's self-defense, they'll drop the charges, right? One step at a time, Kat.
Esperanza Morales, a 19-year-old boxing prodigy, knocked out her trainer and mentor Romeo SolÃs during an argument last night.
He died at LaGuardia Hospital this morning as a result of his injury.
We were a family, and now we're broken.
I don't know who to believe.
We know you and Esperanza are close.
Anything you saw could help her.
You were there.
Can you tell us how it went down? It's not gonna bring Romeo back.
Yeah, but it could prevent your girl from going away.
You wanna lose her too? No.
Esperanza came into the gym all hyped up.
She went to Romeo, they started arguing Could you hear what they were saying? Pieces.
Something about getting too close.
Romeo said Esperanza was just jealous.
Jealous of who, Cami? Maybe.
Look, all I know is that Romeo never crossed a line with me.
Okay.
Esperanza doesn't stir the pot like that.
She punched Romeo out.
She had a reason.
Girls are gossiping.
Parents are calling.
I don't know what to tell 'em.
What they're saying about Romeo, is it true? The allegations are bad.
Did you hear what Romeo and Esperanza were arguing about before he went down? I can't take sides.
Is that what you're gonna tell Esperanza when she goes to prison for 15 years? I was wrapping a girl's hand.
Esperanza and Romeo were getting into it.
I went over to break it up.
- Bad energy.
- Getting into it about what? Romeo got in her ear, said something about damaged goods.
Then she slugged him.
Look, you gotta be straight with me, Val.
Looking back, did you ever see anything not right between Romeo and Esperanza? Trainers play head games with their boxers all the time.
Whatever he did or didn't do, it doesn't matter.
No one's ever gonna look at us without thinking about that.
Men make the mess; women get stuck cleaning it up.
[SOMBER MUSIC.]
"Damaged goods?" "Jealous?" I mean, it sounds like Romeo was abusing Esperanza.
Maybe, but we don't know that, and she won't admit it.
I don't see what difference it makes.
If she was protecting Cami, I mean, wouldn't a jury be sympathetic to that? Emotionally, yeah, but technically, you can't just kill someone because you don't like the way they're treating someone else.
But if we can prove he's abusing her? Well, that changes the case.
You know, she gets a good lawyer, she could do a variation of the battered wife defense.
An abused teen snaps when she's taunted by a predator.
She's a boxer.
She'll never admit to it.
She's got her rep to protect.
Or she's scared, or in denial.
If she and a lawyer come to me with her admission, I can convince Hadid to make a deal.
Good luck.
Bail's set at 10 grand? She won't be able to make that.
How about I go over to Rikers and talk to her? She's under arrest, Kat.
None of us can talk to her without a lawyer present.
Hell no.
Mal pensada.
Romeo was like a father Father.
I know.
But you have a father, Santos.
Leave him out of this.
He send you? Nobody sent me.
I'm not even supposed to be visiting you without your lawyer.
Then go home.
Go.
[SCOFFS.]
You're looking at 15 years.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
Girl.
Romeo didn't touch me.
No? Why did he call you damaged goods? People heard that? So everybody knows.
Knows what, Esperanza? No, I mean They can't.
No, it's Espe, it wasn't Romeo.
It was your father, wasn't it? Santos.
Don't you ever mention that malparido's name to me ever again.
Okay, so I didn't approach her as a cop.
I went to visit her as a friend.
At Rikers.
After she invoked.
No, Kat.
Her lawyer needs to be there.
She understands that, Counselor.
Does she? Because if Esperanza would've said something probative, then you would've tanked this whole case.
Well, good news is she didn't say anything too probative.
Oh, so it's just a little probative.
Carisi.
Kat, go on.
It's what she didn't say, about her father.
She insists Romeo did not touch her, but when I mentioned Santos, she bolted from the room.
So you're inferring that Esperanza's father abused her.
So why would she go off and punch Romeo? Romeo called her damaged goods.
If he was taunting her about her father's abuse, then that's mitigating, isn't it? Hold up, Kat, she hasn't accused her father.
And we would need corroboration.
And aside from that, you should be talking to her defense attorney, and not me.
Whatever you do, Kat, do not go back to Rikers without a lawyer.
He gets stuck, doesn't he? That's all men, actually, but Kat, he's right.
If she doesn't disclose How about I take a run at Santos? Are you kidding me? Kat.
I can't trust you right now.
So what, I'm benched? You can't do anything without me.
Okay.
[LAUGHS.]
Hey.
My daughter's a very angry person.
When people fail her, she lashes out.
Has she always been that way? Uh her mother left us when she was 10.
Esperanza never forgave her.
Girls need their mothers, tú sabes.
But she had her daddy.
Yeah, except you two don't seem so tight.
Why's that? No sé.
I gave her everything.
Ballet, gymnastics.
She wanted to become a boxer.
I bust my ass so Espe could have the success I never had.
Still, she pushed me away.
That must burn.
You out here trying to make a dollar out of 15¢, and she disrespects you.
Or maybe it was because you got too close to her.
What? What is Esperanza saying? I'm a good father.
I did everything for my two girls.
Esperanza has a sister? Had a sister.
Graciela.
She got hooked.
I tried to save her.
Now I've lost both my girls.
Now, excuse me.
My kids need me.
So one daughter becomes a boxer, the other's a junkie who OD'd? You do whatever you can to get out of a house like his.
Just to be clear, my client is here to discuss the events leading up to the tragedy, but nothing she says will prevent her from claiming self-defense.
And we understand, and we're here because we want to help you.
Too late.
Something triggered you.
Was it about your father? Esperanza.
You have to give the jury a reason to understand how we got here.
I'm not gonna talk about him.
I'm a fighter.
I can't look weak.
Telling your story isn't weak.
And whatever happened to you doesn't define you.
For now, it's just us.
We can keep it a secret if you want.
No one ever has to know.
[WHISPERING.]
Jesus.
What? That's what he'd whisper when he crawled into my bed.
Your father.
Santos was a mean drunk when I was little.
At night, I'd hear his footsteps, and That's how I knew he was coming for me.
Coming for you? He'd get under my covers move on top of me hold me down Eventually, I just gave in.
And Romeo knew about this? First time I met him, I told him I needed to protect myself.
Took one look at Santos.
He knew why.
Esperanza, what did Romeo do when you confronted him about Cami? First, he called me a liar.
And then he said, "You're just jealous because I never wanted your papi's sloppy seconds.
" [SOMBER MUSIC.]
I should've known, and I should've protected Cami.
Like you should've protected your sister.
Your father got to her too, huh? What do you know about Graciela? You talked to her? Graciela's alive? As far as I know.
And when was the last time you saw her? Two years ago, panhandling near the Port Authority.
I gave her everything I had.
Made her promise to call me, but she never did.
Graciela Morales? Easy, papi.
I'm clean.
I already pissed twice in a cup this month.
Actually, we wanted to talk to you about your sister.
Espe? I heard she's in trouble.
She is.
We were hoping that you could help us help her.
How? She punched her trainer 'cause he was taunting her about your father.
Did you know anything about that? That's why she boxes.
After she got good, she told him he had to leave us both alone.
It could help your sister if you came and told our ADA that.
Yeah.
Sure, okay.
She's doing good now boxing.
She must have money.
How much she gonna pay me? So her sister knew about the abuse, but she'll only testify if she gets paid? - Yeah.
- What about Esperanza? She won't testify.
She's too ashamed.
And she's still looking at man two.
Santos abused his daughters for years.
We should be arresting him.
You're right, but we're not.
I'm sorry.
Espe's in jail, and her sister won't help her.
My sisters and I would do anything for each other.
I still don't get it.
I do.
She didn't say she wouldn't help.
She said she wanted to get paid.
[DOOR BUZZES OPEN.]
To see my own kid, I gotta sit here with glass between us? Breaks my heart.
You're lucky I'm even talking to you at all.
[SIGHS.]
Your sister called me.
She's nervous about you running your mouth.
She is? Or you are? Nice counter.
Make this about Santos.
You better be nice.
That's all he cares about.
I took two subways and a bus to get here.
- Two hours.
- [LAUGHS.]
Point proven.
You know, since your whole gym turned on you, I mean, you got no one but me.
I'd rather have no one.
[SIGHS.]
Stubborn as a rat.
You know, you wanna survive in here, you gotta toughen up.
Yeah, let go of whatever grudge you're holding.
Papi, wait.
Sit.
Por favor.
I get it.
You want me to keep my mouth shut.
But my lawyer says the only way I don't go down for murder is by telling people what you did.
Espe, you you must have me confused with Romeo and your friend.
No.
You were my papi, and you should've never touched me like that.
All I did was love you.
Look out for you.
You never looked out for me.
You're only here because you're scared people are gonna find out that you're the worst kind of papi.
- Screwing your daughters.
- Cállate, Esperanza.
[SOBBING.]
How could you do that to me? I was a little kid! I couldn't help it.
After your mami left, you were all I had.
It's not my fault.
'Cause it was mine, right? You said because I was beautiful, I was teasing you.
I raised you alone.
I had needs.
You raped me! Do you hear yourself? What man will want you after you say that on the stand? How could you say that? If I hadn't done what I did, you would've been a victim your whole life.
You took everything from me.
My childhood, my little sister, my career.
I was almost out, and once I made Golden Gloves, I was gonna leave you and all your baggage behind.
I was a fighter, and I was damn good! I had a chance, but now I'm stuck in this hellhole! You can't change the past, Espe.
I'm stuck here because of you! You took everything from me! Get out! Get out! [SCREAMING.]
Get out! [SOBBING.]
No! No! [PANTING.]
Esperanza, you did great.
You got a confession.
Then why do I feel like I lost? Trust me, you didn't.
The hard part is over, and you're still standing.
My client did what you asked.
And I'll do what I promised.
Assault two, two years.
Stay out of trouble, you'll be out sooner than that.
Okay.
But what about Santos? Okay, mi amor? Aquà está.
Okay? You never blamed me, and you got over it.
You gotta get Esperanza to do the same.
Okay.
Santos Morales.
- You're under arrest.
- What? - Get your hands on the wall.
- What is this? - Keep 'em up.
- Huh? My own daughter? You set me up? How could you do this? How could I? How could you?! I hope you die in prison! Tell Officer Tamin she didn't need to pay me.
I wanna give her the money back.
Graciela! Morales.
You got visitors.
Kat? Graciela? I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
[BOTH CRYING.]
Thank you.
[WARM MUSIC.]
.
are considered especially heinous.
In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
You grew a beard? I'm in Iowa, trying to blend in.
[LAUGHS.]
Good luck.
Why are you there? Election fraud.
We're living in a dystopian nightmare.
Enough about me.
How are you? I heard about Tucker.
You know, it's been rough.
A lot of loss lately.
Time is just flying by.
Every day.
I'm back after the primary.
Dinner? On me? I'd like that.
Oh, oh, oh, before I go, happy birthday.
[CHUCKLES.]
You're early.
I wanted to be the first.
Regards to the squad.
And Noah.
Barba sends his regards.
How's he doing? He's in Iowa, tilting at windmills.
Where's Kat? Oh, I let her out early so she could warm up for a boxing match.
We're all going, remember? Oh, I totally forgot.
Um - I have an appointment.
- An appointment? Let it go, Fin.
Meet us after.
You know what, I can't.
Noah has a rehearsal, but wish Kat good luck for me.
She just needs time.
She'll be okay.
Come on, pick it up, pick it up.
[GRUNTING.]
That's right, hook off the jab.
Dance.
All right, swift feet, Esperanza.
[GRUNTING.]
Esperanza, you better save some of that for the ring.
I'm taking you down.
Your cop intimidation tactics are useless.
I'm gonna bury you.
Romeo around? Yeah, in his office.
You backing out? Hey, you just be ready to catch these hands.
All right, all right.
Back to your feet.
Hard pivot.
Romeo, it's Kat.
You got a minute? Just a sec.
- Hey, Cami.
- Hey.
- Hey.
- Hi.
Sorry, the door was locked.
Oh, it was? Maybe Cami did that.
Pobrecita pulled her left shoulder.
I had to pop it back in for her.
Hey.
Focus.
You win tonight, Golden Gloves are within reach.
Right? Forgot to tell you that Val's gonna be in your corner tonight.
Val? I was banking on you.
So is Esperanza.
She's 19.
You're a big girl.
You're gonna be fine.
So that's it for my pre-fight pep talk? [LAUGHS.]
All right, kid, listen, and I shouldn't even be telling you this.
Right? Esperanza's got a weak left hook.
Okay, so what are we gonna do? Hit her with a couple body jabs, right? Pah! Pah! Then we follow it up with your overhand right.
Pah! Make it hard for her to counter.
Boom, boom, boom.
She's done, finito.
Hey, but you didn't get none of that from me.
[FOREBODING MUSIC.]
Hey, Cami.
How's your shoulder? Hmm? Romeo said he had to pop it back in.
Oh.
It's fine.
So who locked the door, you or Hey, SVU, take a knee.
I'm not some after-school special, okay? Quit trying to stir up trouble.
[HIP-HOP MUSIC.]
[OVERLAPPING SHOUTING.]
[SCATTERED CHEERS AND APPLAUSE.]
Hey.
Lot of people here.
Kat any good? She could whip your ass, Counselor.
Do we know anything about this opponent? Hell yeah.
It's my daughter.
Esperanza Morales, huh? Most knockouts in the gym.
Yeah, total killer.
Kat's a stepping stone.
Our money's on that girl from Gowanus.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this elite qualifying match.
Fighting out of the blue corner, the phenomenon from Lebanon, the brute from Beirut, Katriona "I Own Ya" Tamin! [CHEERS, BOOS, AND APPLAUSE.]
And in the red corner, with an undefeated record of six wins and no losses, the Dyckman Street devil, Esperanza "No Hope" Morales! [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE.]
Whoo! Let's fight.
- [BELL DINGS.]
- Box.
[OVERLAPPING SHOUTING.]
Light on your feet, light on your feet.
You got this, Espe! [SHOUTING CONTINUES.]
Come on, girl! Yeah, let's go! [SHOUTING AND CHEERING.]
Kat looks good.
Everybody looks good till they get popped in the mouth.
Come on, Kat.
Let's go! Come on! Keep moving.
Keep moving.
All right, gotta be faster than that, baby! [BOTH GRUNTING.]
Come on! That's it! Finish her! - [GRUNTS.]
- That's it! [CROWD SCREAMING.]
One.
- Two.
- Get up, get up! [ECHOING.]
Three.
Four.
Five.
[MUFFLED SHOUTING.]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
Kat threw down.
Our girl can fight.
Yeah.
She can drink too, huh? That's why I drove her home.
Here she is.
Rocky Tamin.
What's up? - Ooh, nice shiner.
- Uh-huh.
You and Carisi were hitting it pretty hard last night.
You get home okay? You had it, rookie, till you went to the overhand.
Yeah, yeah.
The captain in? [KNOCKING.]
Yeah.
Come on in.
I heard you impressed the squad.
Till I didn't.
- Ouch.
- Yeah.
Everything all right? I'm not sure.
When you first got here, did you start seeing predators everywhere? I did.
I know it takes a while to get your bearings.
What's this about? Before my fight, I went in to see the head trainer, Romeo.
His door was locked, and then Cami, another fighter, 16, came rushing out, and Romeo was tying his sweats.
Okay.
Anything else? He claimed he popped her shoulder back in, but Cami had no idea about that.
It kept me up all night.
Well, if your gut is telling you that something's off, you gotta trust that.
I already told Kat nothing happened.
Well, this'll be quick.
So how long have you been at Romeo's gym? Two years.
It's my home away from home.
The trainers there are intense.
You can't fake anything.
Trainers like Romeo.
He saved my life.
Made me a fighter.
Before him, I was a screw-up.
Now I'm clean, happy, get good grades.
I wouldn't be nothing without him.
Cami, I hear all that, but I'm worried about you.
Don't be.
Romeo was just popping my shoulder back in.
I gotta go.
Book club.
Okay.
Well, Cami, if anything comes up, please call.
- Abuela.
- Cami.
[SPEAKING SPANISH.]
[SPEAKING SPANISH.]
Grandma.
Romeo's a good man.
Before him, Cami didn't have a father in her life.
Now she does.
Tiene un buen corazón.
"Good heart.
" How so? Every time they work or train late, he drives her home.
What time does she get home? He wants her to be a champion, so he trains her like one.
She's so tired, she goes straight to bed.
How's her shoulder? She injured it.
Did she see a doctor? No.
She's fine.
She does 100 pushups every morning.
Okay.
Mrs.
Vega, just in case, would you mind talking to Cami about Romeo and about her shoulder? - Thank you.
- Thanks.
So Romeo's good for this, right? Slow down, Kat.
The grandmother just described grooming, and the shoulder was just an excuse.
Maybe, but there are two scenarios.
One, he's a predator, and two, he's a trainer that cares about his girls.
So now you're telling me not to trust my gut.
No, now we dig deeper.
Who else can we talk to from the gym? Romeo's a trainer.
Yeah, he touches me, but not in a creepy way.
What about Cami? She ever say anything to you about him? They're close.
Romeo plays favorites.
Okay, look, I know you guys are SVU, but Romeo is not like that.
He's not a perv.
Well, Kat says that you're the eyes and the ears of the gym, so you ever notice anything Yeah, I'll hit you up.
I wanna protect my girls just as much as you do.
Great.
Your eye looks better.
Yeah, it was a lucky punch.
Not really.
Romeo said when you come around with that big right, you drop your guard.
- He told you that? - Mm-hmm.
He said I could pivot, hit you with the right.
"No mercy" was his exact words.
But we're still good, right? Yeah, of course.
I don't empty the dryer, those viejas will have their hands all over my clothes, and I can't have that.
- What was that about? - I knew it! He told me to throw that overhand right, and he told her that it was coming.
So he set you up.
It was a message.
To shut up about whatever happened between him and Cami.
Follow up.
- Carisi.
- I was in the neighborhood.
My mom made you soup.
Ribollita.
Oh, thank you.
I'm fine.
Oh.
Listen.
It's my mother's.
All right? Take the soup.
[SCOFFS.]
While you're here, fresh eyes? All right, thanks a lot.
That's the that's the guy who runs Kat's gym, right? Romeo SolÃs.
When I got back into boxing a year ago, everyone told me he was the best.
But? He may be sexually involved with an underage boxer.
Great.
So what's his story? No record.
Box full of awards and honorary degrees.
Who's the complainant? Well, she hasn't disclosed yet.
So what do you have? I interrupted her and Romeo behind a locked door.
They weren't working out.
He also set Kat up.
He tipped off her opponent to Kat's fight plan.
So that's why you got tagged.
Look, I might've lost anyway, but he was pretty pissed when I called him out.
Had her do his dirty work.
Mrs.
Vega.
Cami.
What can I do for you? Cami, tell her what you told me.
You know, why don't we go someplace a little more private? Esperanza grilled me.
That's the only reason I'm here.
So you get the truth from me and not some jealous lies The truth? It's actually none of your business, but Romeo and I are in love.
[DARK MUSIC.]
Okay, so it's more of a relationship.
No, you don't understand.
He's been sleeping with her for two years.
I get it, and Cami, you're 16? I'm old enough to know what I want.
No you're not.
Show her your texts.
All right.
I would like to see those, and I would like to hear more.
- Detective Rollins? - Yeah.
Come this way.
We'll clear this up.
That's no love.
That's just rape.
- So now we arrest him? - Well, no.
Now we get Romeo's side of the story.
- You good with that? - Yeah, go.
Also, I'm gonna need a warrant for their cell phones, his office I got you covered.
Guys, stop it.
I don't know who you think you are Walk away, yo, just walk away.
Disrespecting me when my name's on the door.
- Hey, what's going on? - Everybody step away.
- Whoa! - Hey, that's enough! All right, everybody, back up.
Back up.
Get up! You think you slick? Let's go! Hey, step back! Espe.
Hey, are you there? Look at me.
Are you with me? - Let go of me! - SVU portable to Central.
I need a bus at Romeo's Boxing Club.
- We got a head injury.
- Get your hands off me! - My head! - Romeo, don't move.
- Just let me at him! - Espe, come on.
Let me at him! Maldita perra sucker punched me, man.
No way some chick knocks me out.
Why were you two going at it? It don't matter.
Load of bull anyway.
She say anything about Cami? Ain't nothing to say.
Cami said you two are in love.
[LAUGHS.]
[MACHINES BEEPING.]
It's a Mickey Mouse crush, man.
My girls mistake mentorship for relationship.
It's not a mistake when you sleep with them and sext 'em.
Yo, she's lying.
And your girl, Kat, she set me up.
And why would she do that? My ambulance.
Stop talking.
Esperanza was protecting Cami.
Okay.
Let her tell it.
Esperanza, you can follow me.
She knows why I did it.
You guys weren't doing anything.
She confronted him about Cami and she lost it.
Did she say that Romeo made an admission? We didn't get that far, but I can find out.
Listen, I know that you're worried about her.
Let us talk to her.
So let's rewind.
You talked to Cami.
Yeah.
Like your captain said, if Romeo was molesting her, I had to know.
- Right.
- She's my girl.
- Like a sister.
- Good.
Good, and what did she say? First she denied, but I pushed, and she spilled it all.
She showed me Romeo's texts.
[SCOFFS.]
He's sick.
And she thinks it's love.
She doesn't know it's rape.
She was only 14 the first time they We're aware.
I did not know about her and Romeo.
I mean, he looked out for me when no one else did.
So Romeo never crossed a line with you? No.
He's always treated me like a daughter.
Mr.
Morales.
Hi.
My daughter, Esperanza, is she okay? Yeah, she's doing better than Romeo.
Yeah, but what happened? They got into an argument, and Esperanza landed a punch.
Oh.
[CHUCKLES.]
Well, you know, she's a good kid.
He probably started it.
Where is she? My captain's speaking with her now.
Well, I wanna be in the room.
She's my daughter.
She's not a minor, Mr.
Morales.
Please.
I mean, you know how fast these things turn.
Could you at least give her a message that her dad said to zip it? You know? Wait for a lawyer? Yeah.
Take a seat.
So you went to the gym to confront Romeo.
Yeah, he was coaching Sasha, and I told him we need to talk.
I asked him, how could he be having sex with Cami? And how did he react? He said I was crazy, and that I should mind my own business.
Sorry.
Esperanza's father's here.
Oh, Kat, we're still talking.
Santos? He does not need to be here.
He wants you to get a lawyer.
Officer, you have a sec? Excuse me.
Give me a minute.
Do I need a lawyer? It's in case Romeo presses charges.
Charges? On me? He's the rapist! Let's just calm down for a second, okay? - Kat.
- I know, I know.
- I screwed up.
- Yeah, you did.
It's just, her dad's upset, and I wanna help Espe.
I'm scared for Cami.
And I get that, but it's hard to be objective when you're too close to a victim.
You bond with victims all the time.
I do, and I've had to learn to see things with perspective.
My old captain used to warn me.
He said, "If you're too close to a case, you're not helping the victim.
" Okay.
Speaking of helping the victims, when do we arraign Romeo? He's at the hospital.
They're running some tests.
When he went down, he hit his head.
He's faking injury in order to buy time.
I'll pass that on to Carisi.
You're arraigning me in bed.
Why don't you just pull the plug already? Don't tempt me, Mr.
SolÃs.
Just lay there.
Let me do the talking.
Can you scoot back please? Thank you.
Everybody cozy? Good.
On a count of rape two, a plea of not guilty has been entered.
Have you had time to talk to your client, Mr.
Kluger? I have, Your Honor.
- People on bail? - $20,000, Your Honor.
We also request an order of protection for the defendant to stay away from the victim and his gym.
His livelihood involves close interaction with young girls, one of whom he's accused of raping.
Your Honor, Mr.
SolÃs is in no shape to get back to work, let alone leave this bed.
His only wish is to regain his health and clear his name.
That may be so, Mr.
Kluger, but I'm still granting the T.
O.
P.
Defendant will surrender his passport, and bail is set at $20,000.
- Thank you, Your Honor.
- Mm-hmm.
- How was that? - It was crowded.
- Did he get bail? - He's not going anywhere, Kat.
- Until this goes to trial.
- Cami still in love? She is.
She doesn't want to testify.
Well, keep working her.
If I have to, I'll call her as a hostile witness.
[URGENT BEEPING.]
- What's going on? - I don't know.
Stand back.
Please don't crowd.
Patient's coding.
Call the O.
R.
He was fine.
[NURSES CHATTERING.]
Your friend Esperanza, does she have a lawyer yet? You didn't hear this from me, but she better get one.
So Mr.
SolÃs died of a brain bleed minutes after his bedside arraignment? Well, I don't think that there was a cause and effect.
Subdural hematoma, common among boxers, from a head trauma.
Inflicted by one of the teens he trained with? Yeah, Esperanza Morales, 19, his protégé.
She's a champion boxer and one of the success stories at his gym.
Had he abused her too? Well, she hasn't said that.
She was confronting him about the one victim we know about so far, Cami Vega.
Well, that's moot.
Your rape case just became a murder case.
I interviewed Esperanza.
This wasn't premeditated.
It wasn't even intentional.
Intent or not, a man is dead.
You're gonna have to pivot your investigation.
Murder? [SCOFFS.]
But she's a kid.
She has no priors.
He was a predator.
She I feel for her, but she's a trained boxer.
Unless you can prove she or someone else - was in imminent danger - [PHONE BUZZES.]
Ms.
Morales is facing man two.
Hadid's in a good mood.
Always.
Man two.
How long could Esperanza get? Up to 15 years.
- [ELEVATOR DINGS.]
- See ya.
This wasn't supposed to be my story.
You know, growing up, I always told myself that I'll rise above the narrative they have for people like us, but here I am.
All because I assaulted that mañoso.
Esperanza, it's no longer assault.
There was a complication with the injury.
Romeo died this morning.
[GASPS.]
- I didn't mean to - I know.
But for now, the DA wants to charge manslaughter.
Did you tell them it was an accident? They are aware, but it may not matter.
So I have to ask you again, did Romeo ever do anything to you? No.
I already told you, never.
Okay.
Is there anyone that we can call for you before arraignment? Your father mentioned getting you a lawyer.
No.
No.
I don't want anything from him.
Okay.
Esperanza, is there anything that you remember that could justify this as self-defense? Um What about the other girls who were there? Maybe they heard or saw something? No.
They didn't see anything.
- Give us a minute.
- [SNIFFLES.]
She's hiding something.
Clearly.
How many witnesses were at the scene? A dozen, at least.
So see if anyone knows what happened.
If it's self-defense, they'll drop the charges, right? One step at a time, Kat.
Esperanza Morales, a 19-year-old boxing prodigy, knocked out her trainer and mentor Romeo SolÃs during an argument last night.
He died at LaGuardia Hospital this morning as a result of his injury.
We were a family, and now we're broken.
I don't know who to believe.
We know you and Esperanza are close.
Anything you saw could help her.
You were there.
Can you tell us how it went down? It's not gonna bring Romeo back.
Yeah, but it could prevent your girl from going away.
You wanna lose her too? No.
Esperanza came into the gym all hyped up.
She went to Romeo, they started arguing Could you hear what they were saying? Pieces.
Something about getting too close.
Romeo said Esperanza was just jealous.
Jealous of who, Cami? Maybe.
Look, all I know is that Romeo never crossed a line with me.
Okay.
Esperanza doesn't stir the pot like that.
She punched Romeo out.
She had a reason.
Girls are gossiping.
Parents are calling.
I don't know what to tell 'em.
What they're saying about Romeo, is it true? The allegations are bad.
Did you hear what Romeo and Esperanza were arguing about before he went down? I can't take sides.
Is that what you're gonna tell Esperanza when she goes to prison for 15 years? I was wrapping a girl's hand.
Esperanza and Romeo were getting into it.
I went over to break it up.
- Bad energy.
- Getting into it about what? Romeo got in her ear, said something about damaged goods.
Then she slugged him.
Look, you gotta be straight with me, Val.
Looking back, did you ever see anything not right between Romeo and Esperanza? Trainers play head games with their boxers all the time.
Whatever he did or didn't do, it doesn't matter.
No one's ever gonna look at us without thinking about that.
Men make the mess; women get stuck cleaning it up.
[SOMBER MUSIC.]
"Damaged goods?" "Jealous?" I mean, it sounds like Romeo was abusing Esperanza.
Maybe, but we don't know that, and she won't admit it.
I don't see what difference it makes.
If she was protecting Cami, I mean, wouldn't a jury be sympathetic to that? Emotionally, yeah, but technically, you can't just kill someone because you don't like the way they're treating someone else.
But if we can prove he's abusing her? Well, that changes the case.
You know, she gets a good lawyer, she could do a variation of the battered wife defense.
An abused teen snaps when she's taunted by a predator.
She's a boxer.
She'll never admit to it.
She's got her rep to protect.
Or she's scared, or in denial.
If she and a lawyer come to me with her admission, I can convince Hadid to make a deal.
Good luck.
Bail's set at 10 grand? She won't be able to make that.
How about I go over to Rikers and talk to her? She's under arrest, Kat.
None of us can talk to her without a lawyer present.
Hell no.
Mal pensada.
Romeo was like a father Father.
I know.
But you have a father, Santos.
Leave him out of this.
He send you? Nobody sent me.
I'm not even supposed to be visiting you without your lawyer.
Then go home.
Go.
[SCOFFS.]
You're looking at 15 years.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
Girl.
Romeo didn't touch me.
No? Why did he call you damaged goods? People heard that? So everybody knows.
Knows what, Esperanza? No, I mean They can't.
No, it's Espe, it wasn't Romeo.
It was your father, wasn't it? Santos.
Don't you ever mention that malparido's name to me ever again.
Okay, so I didn't approach her as a cop.
I went to visit her as a friend.
At Rikers.
After she invoked.
No, Kat.
Her lawyer needs to be there.
She understands that, Counselor.
Does she? Because if Esperanza would've said something probative, then you would've tanked this whole case.
Well, good news is she didn't say anything too probative.
Oh, so it's just a little probative.
Carisi.
Kat, go on.
It's what she didn't say, about her father.
She insists Romeo did not touch her, but when I mentioned Santos, she bolted from the room.
So you're inferring that Esperanza's father abused her.
So why would she go off and punch Romeo? Romeo called her damaged goods.
If he was taunting her about her father's abuse, then that's mitigating, isn't it? Hold up, Kat, she hasn't accused her father.
And we would need corroboration.
And aside from that, you should be talking to her defense attorney, and not me.
Whatever you do, Kat, do not go back to Rikers without a lawyer.
He gets stuck, doesn't he? That's all men, actually, but Kat, he's right.
If she doesn't disclose How about I take a run at Santos? Are you kidding me? Kat.
I can't trust you right now.
So what, I'm benched? You can't do anything without me.
Okay.
[LAUGHS.]
Hey.
My daughter's a very angry person.
When people fail her, she lashes out.
Has she always been that way? Uh her mother left us when she was 10.
Esperanza never forgave her.
Girls need their mothers, tú sabes.
But she had her daddy.
Yeah, except you two don't seem so tight.
Why's that? No sé.
I gave her everything.
Ballet, gymnastics.
She wanted to become a boxer.
I bust my ass so Espe could have the success I never had.
Still, she pushed me away.
That must burn.
You out here trying to make a dollar out of 15¢, and she disrespects you.
Or maybe it was because you got too close to her.
What? What is Esperanza saying? I'm a good father.
I did everything for my two girls.
Esperanza has a sister? Had a sister.
Graciela.
She got hooked.
I tried to save her.
Now I've lost both my girls.
Now, excuse me.
My kids need me.
So one daughter becomes a boxer, the other's a junkie who OD'd? You do whatever you can to get out of a house like his.
Just to be clear, my client is here to discuss the events leading up to the tragedy, but nothing she says will prevent her from claiming self-defense.
And we understand, and we're here because we want to help you.
Too late.
Something triggered you.
Was it about your father? Esperanza.
You have to give the jury a reason to understand how we got here.
I'm not gonna talk about him.
I'm a fighter.
I can't look weak.
Telling your story isn't weak.
And whatever happened to you doesn't define you.
For now, it's just us.
We can keep it a secret if you want.
No one ever has to know.
[WHISPERING.]
Jesus.
What? That's what he'd whisper when he crawled into my bed.
Your father.
Santos was a mean drunk when I was little.
At night, I'd hear his footsteps, and That's how I knew he was coming for me.
Coming for you? He'd get under my covers move on top of me hold me down Eventually, I just gave in.
And Romeo knew about this? First time I met him, I told him I needed to protect myself.
Took one look at Santos.
He knew why.
Esperanza, what did Romeo do when you confronted him about Cami? First, he called me a liar.
And then he said, "You're just jealous because I never wanted your papi's sloppy seconds.
" [SOMBER MUSIC.]
I should've known, and I should've protected Cami.
Like you should've protected your sister.
Your father got to her too, huh? What do you know about Graciela? You talked to her? Graciela's alive? As far as I know.
And when was the last time you saw her? Two years ago, panhandling near the Port Authority.
I gave her everything I had.
Made her promise to call me, but she never did.
Graciela Morales? Easy, papi.
I'm clean.
I already pissed twice in a cup this month.
Actually, we wanted to talk to you about your sister.
Espe? I heard she's in trouble.
She is.
We were hoping that you could help us help her.
How? She punched her trainer 'cause he was taunting her about your father.
Did you know anything about that? That's why she boxes.
After she got good, she told him he had to leave us both alone.
It could help your sister if you came and told our ADA that.
Yeah.
Sure, okay.
She's doing good now boxing.
She must have money.
How much she gonna pay me? So her sister knew about the abuse, but she'll only testify if she gets paid? - Yeah.
- What about Esperanza? She won't testify.
She's too ashamed.
And she's still looking at man two.
Santos abused his daughters for years.
We should be arresting him.
You're right, but we're not.
I'm sorry.
Espe's in jail, and her sister won't help her.
My sisters and I would do anything for each other.
I still don't get it.
I do.
She didn't say she wouldn't help.
She said she wanted to get paid.
[DOOR BUZZES OPEN.]
To see my own kid, I gotta sit here with glass between us? Breaks my heart.
You're lucky I'm even talking to you at all.
[SIGHS.]
Your sister called me.
She's nervous about you running your mouth.
She is? Or you are? Nice counter.
Make this about Santos.
You better be nice.
That's all he cares about.
I took two subways and a bus to get here.
- Two hours.
- [LAUGHS.]
Point proven.
You know, since your whole gym turned on you, I mean, you got no one but me.
I'd rather have no one.
[SIGHS.]
Stubborn as a rat.
You know, you wanna survive in here, you gotta toughen up.
Yeah, let go of whatever grudge you're holding.
Papi, wait.
Sit.
Por favor.
I get it.
You want me to keep my mouth shut.
But my lawyer says the only way I don't go down for murder is by telling people what you did.
Espe, you you must have me confused with Romeo and your friend.
No.
You were my papi, and you should've never touched me like that.
All I did was love you.
Look out for you.
You never looked out for me.
You're only here because you're scared people are gonna find out that you're the worst kind of papi.
- Screwing your daughters.
- Cállate, Esperanza.
[SOBBING.]
How could you do that to me? I was a little kid! I couldn't help it.
After your mami left, you were all I had.
It's not my fault.
'Cause it was mine, right? You said because I was beautiful, I was teasing you.
I raised you alone.
I had needs.
You raped me! Do you hear yourself? What man will want you after you say that on the stand? How could you say that? If I hadn't done what I did, you would've been a victim your whole life.
You took everything from me.
My childhood, my little sister, my career.
I was almost out, and once I made Golden Gloves, I was gonna leave you and all your baggage behind.
I was a fighter, and I was damn good! I had a chance, but now I'm stuck in this hellhole! You can't change the past, Espe.
I'm stuck here because of you! You took everything from me! Get out! Get out! [SCREAMING.]
Get out! [SOBBING.]
No! No! [PANTING.]
Esperanza, you did great.
You got a confession.
Then why do I feel like I lost? Trust me, you didn't.
The hard part is over, and you're still standing.
My client did what you asked.
And I'll do what I promised.
Assault two, two years.
Stay out of trouble, you'll be out sooner than that.
Okay.
But what about Santos? Okay, mi amor? Aquà está.
Okay? You never blamed me, and you got over it.
You gotta get Esperanza to do the same.
Okay.
Santos Morales.
- You're under arrest.
- What? - Get your hands on the wall.
- What is this? - Keep 'em up.
- Huh? My own daughter? You set me up? How could you do this? How could I? How could you?! I hope you die in prison! Tell Officer Tamin she didn't need to pay me.
I wanna give her the money back.
Graciela! Morales.
You got visitors.
Kat? Graciela? I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
[BOTH CRYING.]
Thank you.
[WARM MUSIC.]