Charges dropped against 'vegetative' suspect who shot pregnant woman

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Charges have been dropped against a man who is in a vegetative state after a suicide attempt following his arrest on charges he shot a pregnant woman.

On Thursday, Marcela Borges, whose family was held hostage for days by Oscar Diaz-Hernandez and others, said she wanted the case against Diaz-Hernandez thrown out.

It's a surprise change of heart for the victim, who was terrorized nearly four years ago.

Borges said she's tired of Diaz-Hernandez being a burden on the taxpayers funding his care.

Officials said Diaz-Hernandez will never recover from injuries suffered when he attempted suicide in the Orange County Jail. He's on a feeding tube, can't move and can't communicate in any way.

So far, the cost of his care by the Orlando Regional Health Care system has been as much as $1.5 million.

On Friday, a judge dismissed the charges against Diaz-Hernandez. His family can now take him home to Honduras to live out the remainder of his life.


Borges said she hopes Diaz-Hernandez has his family's support and finds the medical attention he needs.

"He left his country walking and healthy and he is going back in a bad situation," she said.

Even though Diaz-Hernandez is in a coma, he is one the 10 people still on Orange County's home confinement program with an ankle bracelet. Once the bracelet is removed, his family will be allowed to take him home.

Borges said Diaz-Hernandez is the one who shot her and temporarily paralyzed her when she was pregnant and running for help after he held her, her husband, and her 5-year-old son Ryan hostage for three days during a brutal home invasion robbery.

"He came walking with Ryan, grabbing his hair and with the gun pointed. Ryan, he was so scared," said Borges.

Last year, Diaz-Hernandez's mother asked a judge to let her take him home. Borges opposed it at the time. She said she was afraid he would recover and not pay for what he did.

Now, she said she feels differently.

"I think for me, it's over. I went through those years with something bad," said Borges. "I'm ready to let it go."

She said when she tossed herself backward out of a second-floor window, head first, to try to get help and save her family, she felt a higher power lifting her out and somehow landing her softly on the grass between two air conditioning units.

She said she believes that same power will decide what happens to Diaz-Hernandez.

"God will take care of him. He will take care, so he knows what is good for him," said Borges.

She said that Lucas, the baby she was carrying during that three-day ordeal, is now a healthy, smart, joyful 2½-year-old. She calls him the family's miracle baby.

Borges said she's forgiving Diaz-Hernandez, for her own sake and the sake of her family, now that she is sure he will never be able to hurt anyone again.

She said she is almost at the point where she's stopped looking over her shoulder.

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