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Candidate's criminal case is behind him

A judge drops charges that alleged false imprisonment and battery by the candidate.

By ALEXANDRA ZAYAS
Published May 5, 2006

TAMPA - Jose N. Vazquez has to wait until November for results of his bid for the District 58 seat in the Florida House of Representatives. But Thursday, he celebrated a victory.

A Hillsborough circuit judge dropped criminal charges that alleged false imprisonment and battery by the candidate.

On Nov. 19, Vazquez was arrested and accused of punching his fiancee, Wanda Shepard, twice in the face. The arrest affidavit alleged that during an argument, Vazquez also broke their television set, chased her into their front yard and restrained her with handcuffs from his security job.

From the beginning, Shepard told prosecutors that Vazquez cuffed her to keep her from hurting herself during a nervous breakdown.

At a pretrial hearing Thursday, the prosecution did not go forward with a trial because of Shepard's statement.

Vazquez blames the police. He said he called 911 for help when Shepard broke the television set and punched him in the face, hoping the police would help him get her to a hospital.

He said police did not question him when they arrived but instead jumped to conclusions. Because of his arrest, he had to move out of his home, where his girlfriend and his nieces and nephew lived.

"If in reality that cop would've given me due process, as is in protocol, I never would've been accused, my kids would've stayed with me, and my girlfriend would've gotten some mental help," Vazquez said.

Vazquez arrived in Tampa in December 1999, coming from Puerto Rico to care for his father, who was dying of lung cancer. His courtroom victory doesn't completely erase his criminal record. Hillsborough County records show past convictions that include criminal mischief and reckless driving, both misdemeanors, and carrying a concealed firearm without the appropriate permit.

Vazquez has said previously that he has a permit for the weapon in his job as a security consultant, but he was carrying the gun off duty.

Vazquez isn't hiding from his record. His campaign business card touts: "Everyone makes mistakes, I'm a person like you!"

Vazquez said he wants to change the law and improve law enforcement and the courts, because he think the systems are prejudiced against minorities. He said his domestic violence arrest illustrates that.

"There's a small group that manipulates, humiliates and oppresses the poor and middle class of this society," Vazquez said, "and what better person to prove that than me?"

--Alexandra Zayas can be reached at 813 226-3354 or azayas@sptimes.com

[Last modified May 5, 2006, 02:30:26]