On the surface, this looks like another messy custody dispute between two parents who can't get along. But when police are called after a confrontation in a grocery store parking lot, officers quickly discover that both sides have a very different version of what happened. The father claims he was assaulted. The mother insists she was only trying to protect her daughter. And by the end of the night, one decision will completely change the outcome of the case. >> Do you have any idea why we might be here? >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> There was a incident a little incident that just happened. Yeah. Yeah. >> You tell me about what happened cuz I don't like getting one side of the story. I don't think that's fair. So that's why I wanted to come over here and at least talk to you. >> No, I'm fine. So basically my daughter [music] and her dad were together today. He We have like a parenting plan. He gets her on Saturday usually from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. >> Okay. >> Today he asked if he could have her a little earlier and I was like, "Sure, you can have her at 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m." And he was like, "Perfect. That works." And I was like, "Okay, awesome." So she was at his house and I was at the gym and then I went to Whole Foods to get some groceries. Sorry, I'm just trying to give you every possible detail. >> Big picture for sure, yeah. >> Yeah. So I go to Whole Foods and um >> Oh, that's embarrassing. >> You're good. Don't worry about it. So then um I text him and I was like, "Hey, I'm at Whole Foods cuz it's right by his house." I was like, "How are you and Dessa doing? Blah blah what not." And he was like, "Oh, okay, you're at Whole Foods?" And I was like, "Yeah." He's like, "I think I'm going to bring her there." And I was like, "Oh, okay, and then I can just pick her up cuz I have her custody order." >> What time was that? >> Uh Shoot. 6:00 something maybe? I can check exactly. I don't have my phone on me. >> No worries. That'd be the very first one I saw. >> Okay. I can grab my phone but I can grab later if you want. >> Yeah, you can go on and get it. Just set the time right now. I was curious if you want. >> Yeah, it's just around uh 6:00 something. >> Okay. So Did you guys agree to meet at Whole Foods? >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Yeah. So I was like, "Okay, I'll be inside. Just call me when you guys get here." And then he was like, "Okay." He was like she was getting kind of fussy. Didn't want to sit down at the dinner table. So I was going to bring her back early. And I was like, "Okay, sounds good. I got it." So I went inside and I was grocery shopping. And then all of a sudden they come by. Then she's running up to me. And then I was like, "Destiny." And then we just kept walking like, you know, just getting my groceries. He was following us. He was like, "Come and say bye. I'm going to go." And I was like, "Okay, go ahead." So we said bye to her, hugged her, gave her kiss. And then he left. >> Was that inside the store? >> Yes. Oh, it was inside the store. So then he left and I'm walking around. I'm like, her backpack is in his car, isn't it? Cuz I packed her backpack with all the things that she goes with. So then he gives me a call and he's like, "Hey, I forgot her backpack." He's like, "Where's your car?" And I was like, "Well, my keys are on me. So you can bring me the backpack or like you can wait till we come out. We're almost done." He was like, "I'll just bring it." I was like, "Okay." So he found us, gave us her backpack. And then we're walking all together. And he was like, "I'm just going to stay here till you guys check out." And I was like, "Okay." >> So he pulled up the car. He put on your hazards. >> Yeah. And I was >> He's waiting for the lights. >> And oh, yeah. And I was like, "Okay, I'm just going to like run out and like put her across the road quick." So I run to the car and he's already going to the center car. I open the door. He starts putting her in the car seat. I was like I was like, "I can do it. Like I got it." And he ignored me. And he starts putting her in the car seat. And I was like, "It's okay. Like I got it. I can do it. Like you know, I'm I'm going to do it." Ignoring me. And I was like I was like, "Can you Can you hear me?" And then he's just ignoring me. And I was like, "Can I grab her backpack?" So I grab her backpack, put it in the car, come back around. He's still doing it. And I was like, "Listen, like I told you this about 10 times. I got it. Like can you just move away?" And he's like, "Thanks. I'm going to put her in the car seat." And I was like, I was like, "Please, well, like let's like let's not do this." And I was like, "I don't put her in a car seat in your car. Like that's your car. that's your thing. Like, can you not do this right now? >> At this point, Alex's story sounds reasonable. She repeatedly describes a father refusing to leave, a crying child caught in the middle, and a situation that was rapidly becoming emotional. The problem is that officers still have one unanswered question. How did the scratch marks end up on his wrist? >> And he was like, he realized that my point is valid, so he's like, "I want to say goodbye to her." And I was like, "Okay. Um you can say goodbye to her. You just said goodbye to her 5 minutes ago. Did you not in the store 5 minutes ago?" And he's like, "Alex, I'm not going to You know, just starting to get worked up." And I'm like, "Well, I'm going to ask you one more time. I'm I swear I'm going to call the police." I was like, "You need to get away from my car." And he's not moving. And then he turns around or I pull his jacket a little bit. I'm like, "Listen, like please move out of my car." And I'm starting to get upset. She's starting to get stressed out. She's starting to cry. >> Yeah. >> And he turns around and he's screaming in my face. He's like, "You are physically assaulting me. You just physically assaulted me." And then people are like starting to turn their heads and notice and he's like, "You're causing a scene. You're causing a scene." And I'm like, I'm like, "Well, you're causing a scene. I asked you genuinely 20 times to move out of the way. You need to get out of my car." And I started yelling. I'm like, "You need to out of my car. Like right now, seriously." She's crying. She's screaming, "Mama, mama, mama." And I'm like, "You're stressing her out. Move." >> Yeah. >> And he's not moving. >> As the interview continues, Alex remains consistent. She admits there was physical contact, but argues it only happened because she felt trapped between her ex and her daughter. The officer now has to determine whether that explanation justifies what happened next. >> He's blocking me. Literally standing like this, blocking me from my own car, from my daughter, like sitting there freaking out in the car seat. She doesn't know what's happening. And so, I'm like, if if any person, genuinely any person is standing in front of me blocking me from my child, like putting her at risk just I'm removing them. I don't care who it is. I'm dealing with that. I'm not like him to play the victim and be like, "Oh, help, help, help." Which I probably should have done. But, I was like, "You need to move." And people are watching, starting to walk by, and I was like, "You need to move right now." So, then I moved him, like pushed him out of the way, like that. And he moves out of the way. >> Yeah. >> And then I finish >> buckling her up >> and then Keshawn and I, she's immediately calm. And I'm like, "Okay, everything's okay. We're going to go home." Close her door, turn around. A woman is right there, and she's like, "Are you okay? Are you okay?" And I was like, I was like, "Yeah, I'm okay." And she's like, "Well, we just saw what happened, and we wanted to know if you're okay." And I'm like, "Trust me, I'm kind of used to this. I'm fine." And I was like, "He's acting insane. This is like kind of typical." I was like, "He's just acting crazy." And I'm like, "He's blocking me from getting my daughter into the car." >> Okay. >> And she's like, "Oh, okay. We We just want to make sure that you're okay." And I was like, "Yeah, we're okay." And I was like, "Thank you." And so, she said, "Okay." So, she walks away, and I turn around, I'm going to walk to the driver's seat. >> Yeah. >> And I see him sitting on the side of the road crying, crying, and like people are coming and comforting him. And I'm like, "Okay, well, we're all good, so I'm going to get out of here." So, I go in the driver's seat, and I'm driving home. Everything's fine. And I didn't want to make it bigger than it was, but now I know I genuinely need to because there's nothing else I can do. >> Okay. >> else I can do, so Yeah, we explained that to him, and then I get home, and then I'm getting texts from him, and he's like, I need to tell you exactly what he said, I don't know. So, yeah. Honestly, like I'm not surprised. I was thinking, like, do I go to the police station and report him? Because what do I do? Like I we need to figure out a way that I have zero contact with him, but he's like harassing me and acting really really weird. Like one day he's sending me like 35 different texts like He's like, "Your boyfriend is always at the house when I'm dropping her off and picking her up. You We need to find a different place to do that." >> But you were trying to say you were moving from the car cuz he was saying, "You're making a scene. You're making a scene." That's when you grabbed the jacket. >> After you had told him get out of my car a few >> Multiple times. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Um did you grab him at the wrist at all? >> I might have grabbed his hand when he he turned around. His hands were like this blocking the car and I said I want I think I grabbed his wrist like this. And I was like, "You need to move right now. You need to move." Cuz he's getting in my face. >> I only asked because you had like a small scratch mark right here. >> me that. >> Okay. And he your nail or something I'm guessing. It looks new. >> But Yeah, and so he's blocking me and getting in my face and I was like I was I was just waiting for him to hit me like But obviously like I'm trying to stay under control. I genuinely asked him like about 95 times and he's not He's not moving. It's like he wants to get something out of me. And I'm trying to hold myself back. I'm like, "Please move." >> Did you think to just like back off and just call us? >> Yeah. I literally said it. I said it to him. I was like, "I'm going to call the police." And then I was like I mean, am I really going to call the police like he's just, you know, not letting me like get her into the into the car seat. And then after that when he's turned around he's blocking me from the car. I just I got so upset. >> Was he verbal the whole time? He never like >> Not the entire time. He >> But I'm saying like he didn't like touch you or anything. It was like you moved him because you wanted to get to your daughter. >> Yeah, no. He put his hands in front of He put his hands in front of him like this and he was getting closer to me, getting in my face and I was like, "Okay, you need to move. You need to move." >> So did he Did he come towards you while >> More than once. And I was like What are you doing right now? Like And And you know what, personally, like if I ask you 10 times, like let me get to our daughter. >> Mhm. >> And he's purposely blocking the way. Then he's getting in front of me. It's like now this is something else. This is turning into something else. Like it's not just about saying goodbye to her. >> This is the moment the interview starts to shift. Until now, Alex has focused on her ex's behavior. But officers are beginning to focus on something else entirely. Her own admission that she physically moved him out of the way. >> So I kind of understand this. Um So in your case, he's putting in the car, you tell him, "Hey, I don't I want to do that. Stop it. Get out of my car." He's not listening. Grab the backpack. Still tell him, "Hey, stop." >> Mhm. >> You tug on his jacket to kind of be like, "How hard do you you think you There's like Is it more of like you were trying to physically move him?" >> No. >> Or was it like >> I physically moved him the second time when he was blocking me out. >> Yeah, so he turns around, you have to tell him, "Hey, you're making a scene, making a scene." Doing like this, coming towards you. >> He immediately turned around. >> Did you tell him to get out of my way, move away? >> Multiple times. >> When he's doing this? >> Multiple times. Yes. >> And he And he doesn't get out of your way. >> He doesn't. He refuses. >> And he gets closer while doing this. Well, and what's he saying? Just >> He's like, "Alex, you're just You're physically assaulting me." And he's like, "You're causing a scene. You're causing a scene." And he I don't know what else he said. Something like Either he wants to buckle her or something like that. I don't know. And I was like I was like, "Listen, you just say goodbye to her. Please, you're causing a scene. She's getting stressed out. I can't even talk cuz he's screaming in my face and getting in front of me." And I'm like I'm like starting to I'm like He's getting in front of me. There's nothing else I can do. He's not going to move. No matter what I do, he's not getting out of the way. And I was like I was like, "I'm going to move you if you don't move." And he refused. And then when I like grabbed his hand like that >> both hands or one hand? >> just one. >> And then you did what? Was it like >> It was he was getting close to me like this and like right in front of me and I was like, "You need to move. You need to move." And I just grabbed like that. >> Grabbed like that and like I pulled him to the side sort of. >> like, "You need to move." And then he was like looking at me. He was like And he was like, "What are you doing?" >> And after you pulled him to the side, was that pretty much the end of like the as far as >> Yes. And he was like, "What are you doing?" And I was like, "Will, move." So then I like grabbed his jacket again and like kind of pushed him to the side. And then I got to her. And then once I did that >> So after after the wrist you pulled him, you grabbed his jacket again and moved him? >> yeah, just moved him out of my way. And he was not budging. He was not budging. And I was like, "All right, you're going to move. You're not going to move." Then I got to her. Immediately she calms down and then I didn't even notice where he went. He just he just left and I didn't care didn't think to deal with with it. Cuz I'm focused on her. >> Do you mind if I see the text messages? It's okay. Right here it says his value. I don't know if you >> Yeah, see if you can find >> Oh, these are the ones you were in from earlier that he sent you? >> No. >> [snorts] >> This is unbelievable. He he he told me he felt like I'm scared. I'm so concerned cuz no normal person could do that. >> So here's the thing, based on uh what he described and what you described um as well as he does have a scratch mark on his wrist. Um and everything is coinciding with what happened. Um you're going to be placed under arrest for domestic battery, okay? Um hold on. Because you have a daughter here we're not going to do this in front of your daughter. Um but are you comfortable with her staying here with your family? I'm assuming this is all your family, right? >> Yes. >> I'm just going to get info for at least one of them, whether it's Is your dad or mom staying here? Um, what's going to happen is I'm going to We're going to take you back to our station. You're going to have to go before a judge >> Okay. >> tomorrow, okay? I'll be putting exactly what you told me, exactly what he told me, and my observations based on everything that I've gotten this far. All right? I just want to make sure this wasn't going to be in front of your daughter cuz she doesn't need to see that, okay? So, do me a favor, just stand here for me and just put your hands behind your back. >> One question, one question. Um >> I'm hearing you. What's your question? >> Why is he not being placed under arrest? >> Because it's domestic battery. You're the one who admitted to putting your hands on him. >> But he's blocking me and not letting me get into my own car. >> Yep, and it Maybe just next time just disengage and call the police, okay? >> In the end, officers determined there was enough evidence to make an arrest. Alex was charged with domestic battery after admitting she physically grabbed and moved her ex during the confrontation. While she maintained she was simply trying to reach her daughter and de-escalate a stressful situation, investigators concluded that the physical contact crossed a legal line. The case serves as a reminder that during emotional custody disputes, even a few seconds of physical confrontation can carry consequences that last far longer than the argument itself.