390: Part 1: “Turn Around & Close Your Eyes” | Angelique Robledo

Summary

Serialously with Annie Elise: Episode 390

Part 1: “Turn Around & Close Your Eyes” | Angelique Robledo
Date: April 27, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this chilling and deeply personal episode, host Annie Elise sits down with Angelique Robledo—a survivor of a rare and horrifying attempted fetal abduction. Angelique recounts how, at 18 and pregnant, she befriended a young woman who shared her apparent circumstances, but whose true intentions were far darker than Angelique could have imagined. Through open, at times raw conversation, Angelique walks listeners through her troubled youth, journey into motherhood, recovery from addiction, and the harrowing lead-up to her near-fatal encounter.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Angelique’s Background: Troubled Beginnings & Redemption (04:02–07:48)

• Outsider Status & Early Teen Years:

  • Moved from California to a small town in Arizona, struggled to fit in.
  • Fell into the "wrong crowd," faced peer pressure, multiple minor run-ins with law enforcement.
  • "I tend to, like, fall into the peer—what is it called? Peer pressure. Yeah. So I fell into a lot of peer pressure as, like, a teenager." (04:39 – Angelique)

• Addiction & Pregnancy:

  • By the end of high school, struggled with meth addiction.
  • Discovered pregnancy at 17; experienced a turning point.
  • "I feel like Ryland saved my life in a way." (06:41 – Angelique)

• Relationship With Ryland's Father:

  • Initially just friends; estranged at the time of pregnancy.
  • News of pregnancy delivered while high and under duress from her mother.

• Moment of Realization:

  • After her stepbrother disposes of her drugs, Angelique attempts to recover them—leading to a moment of clarity about her addiction and future.
  • "I'm willing to do all of this for drugs, right? Like, that's crazy." (10:48 – Angelique)
  • After coming down, she tells Josh she wants to keep the baby:
    • "I'm going to have this baby because I want my life back." (11:58 – Angelique)
    • Annie credits her with uncommon bravery:
      • "At 17 years old, because you were 17 when I said that is pretty courageous and admirable..." (12:19 – Annie)

Recovery & Rebuilding (15:30–22:40)

• Getting Clean:

  • Opened up to OBGYN about drug use; received medical and emotional support for weaning off meth and cigarettes.
  • Gradually rekindled relationships with supportive friends after sobriety.
  • Dropped out of high school due to overwhelm but earned a GED later.

• Family Support:

  • Angelique's mother was understanding and supportive, having overcome a similar past.
    • "My mom had the exact same thing. At 17 years old, she was doing meth and she found out she was pregnant with me." (19:21 – Angelique)
  • "You knew her story." / "She did it for me. I could do it for my child." (19:40 – Annie & Angelique)

• Mother-Daughter Dynamic:

  • Tension and arguments stemmed largely from teenage fear and anger.
  • Angelique reflects on her eight-year-old daughter, anticipating similar challenges.

Relationship Reconstruction with Josh, the Baby's Father (21:06–24:39)

• Josh’s Involvement:

  • Initially kept at an emotional distance by Angelique (“He’s not my boyfriend, just the father of my baby.”)
  • Gradually, as Angelique recovered, they spent more time together, especially after six months pregnant.

• Family Tensions:

  • Angelique’s dad was highly protective—initially didn't welcome Josh.
  • "My dad was always very weary of guys, and I think it was just being very protective." (23:34 – Angelique)
  • The real acceptance came only after Angelique's trauma.

The "Friend" – Cassandra: Bonding, Red Flags, and Unsettling Signs (24:39–53:32)

• Meeting Cassandra:

  • Introduced by mutual friend Hannah as another pregnant, new-to-town teen.
  • Initial meetup at Denny's felt normal—bonded over pregnancy symptoms and went to create registries at Babies R Us.
  • "It was just really nice to be able to talk to somebody." (27:25 – Angelique)

• Oddities and Gaps:

  • Cassandra's backstory (a husband no one meets, dead mother, unstable housing) raised subtle questions.
  • She mirrored Angelique's life stories, but this was not immediately alarming.
  • Only one face-to-face meeting before the incident; other contact was via text/social media.

• Communication Patterns & Neediness:

  • Cassandra often pressed for quick responses, repeated calls/texts.
  • Enmeshed herself into Angelique’s pregnancy milestones—mirroring social media posts, exhibiting fixations on their parallel experiences.

• Persistent Attempts to Isolate Angelique (53:34–56:57):

  • During a day-long visit, Cassandra repeatedly tried to get Angelique to leave the house/go for a walk or visit Cassandra’s home. Angelique declined, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.

The Day of the Incident: Escalating Weirdness (39:53–66:20)

• Cassandra’s Visit (Feb 16):

  • Arrived early morning with a huge diaper bag (insisted on carrying it herself).
  • Day spent discussing birth (especially C-sections), Cassandra displaying odd fascination with medical procedures and birth tools.
    • Notably, Cassandra asked detailed, specific questions about C-sections and suction bulbs.
    • "She was very intrigued into the conversation... how far do they cut? Do they cut up and down or side to side?" (44:12 – Angelique)
    • Annie: "Anything going off in your mind?" Angelique: "I honestly didn't think anything of it..." (44:37)

• Manipulative Mimicry:

  • Cassandra repeatedly mirrored Angelique’s life/trauma stories—verbatim—making her deeply uneasy.
  • "She was mirroring everything that I did... It was almost exactly like it." (49:38 – Angelique)

• Attempts to Get Angelique Alone

  • After several plans to go walking or leave for Cassandra’s house fail, Cassandra expresses she can’t leave until her sister’s home.

• Alone at Last:

  • Eventually, Angelique is left alone with Cassandra as her mother and brothers leave for football practice.
  • Cassandra initiates giving baby gifts in a strange, ritualistic way:
    • "She pulls out my chair from my kitchen and puts it in the middle of my kitchen and goes, okay, sit in the chair. Turn around and close your eyes." (57:37 – Angelique)

• Gifts & Growing Suspicion:

  • Presents (mostly hand-me-down baby items, all heavily scented with cologne) are placed, one-by-one, into Angelique’s lap from behind, with her back turned throughout.
    • Angelique: "It just reeked like cologne. Like a man. All of it did." (58:55 – Angelique)
  • Final gift: a baby carrier later revealed to have been specially purchased to further earn Angelique's trust.

• The Final Setup & Intuition

  • Cassandra lures Angelique, under the guise of showing a custom nightlight, into a darkened bedroom and asks her to "turn around and close your eyes."
  • As Cassandra shuffles in her bag behind her, Angelique’s “gut feeling” goes wild:
    • "What would you do if she were to try to stab you? How would you protect yourself?... You're about to get stabbed." (64:48 – Angelique)
    • She abruptly changes position to keep Cassandra visible, then prepares her phone to dial for help.

• Cliffhanger Ending:

  • The tension peaks as Cassandra gets physically behind Angelique—hand on her shoulder, telling her to lean forward.
  • The episode ends with Annie cutting in:
    • "All right, so we are going to pause the story right here... you're going to want to hear what happens next." (67:26 – Annie)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Recovery and Maturity

  • Annie: "At 17 years old... that is pretty courageous and admirable... grown adults don't have that." (12:19)

• On Maternal Cycles

  • Angelique: "My mom had the exact same thing. At 17 years old, she was doing meth and she found out she was pregnant with me." (19:21)

• Defining the Suspicion

  • Angelique: "She was mirroring everything that I did. Everything." (49:38)
  • Annie: "She’s trying to get you alone... She kept trying to get me to leave, but I kept shutting it down." (55:28 – Annie, paraphrased Angelique)

• On "Weirdness" and Survival Instincts

  • Angelique: "I could feel her, like behind me... I get like these feelings... 'You're in danger, you're about to be stabbed.'" (66:18)

• The Final Setup

  • Cassandra: "Okay, sit in the chair. Turn around and close your eyes." (57:37)
  • "She leans me forward so much that my stomach is huge that I can't breathe. And she goes, one, two—" (67:26)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 04:02 — Angelique’s teen years and addiction
• 06:41 — Pregnancy as a turning point
• 10:48 — The moment of self-realization
• 15:30 — Starting recovery
• 19:21 — Family history of addiction
• 24:39 — Introduction of Cassandra and the birth of the “friendship”
• 39:53 — The day of the incident: Cassandra's arrival
• 44:12 — Cassandra’s intense questions about C-sections
• 49:38 — Cassandra’s alarming mimicry of Angelique's trauma
• 53:00 — Repeated attempts to isolate Angelique
• 57:37 — The ritualistic gifting scene (“turn around and close your eyes”)
• 64:48 — Angelique’s growing intuition of danger
• 66:13 — Cassandra physically behind Angelique, tension climax
• 67:26 — Cliffhanger ending, preview of Part 2

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Tone & Speaker Attributions

• The episode maintains an intimate, conversational, and emotionally frank tone. Annie is empathetic, deeply engaged, and at times almost motherly, while Angelique is open, raw, and strikingly perceptive—even as she recalls moments of naivete and alarm.
• The dialogue captures both the dark, cinematic undertones of true crime and the everyday relatability of real-life trauma and resilience.

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Summary

This episode sets the stage for a harrowing crime, centering on Angelique’s resilience in the face of extraordinary danger and the insidious approach of a “friend” plotting unspeakable violence. With detail not found in headlines, Part 1 leaves listeners on the edge with a literal cliffhanger—poised for Part 2 and the full revelation of Angelique’s survival.

Transcript

[Annie Elise]

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[Angelique Robledo]

My name is Angelique Groveletto and I am a survivor of attempted legal abduction. They are gruesome headlines that read like a made for TV movie.

[Annie Elise]

But for the victims, they are all too real.

[Angelique Robledo]

Teen in Arizona attacked pregnant friends tried to cut baby out of her womb. I can't share their story because they didn't survive. And that is how tragic this crime is.

[Annie Elise]

Hey, true crime besties. Welcome back to an all new episode of Serial asleep. Hello, hello, hello. Welcome back to an all new episode of Serial As Lee, it's me, your host and your true crime bff, Annie Elise. And we are here to talk about another case today. I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. Hopefully you're having a good start to your week. Whether you're listening to this on Monday or a different time throughout the week, I'm just happy that you're here. So thank you so much for being here. Now, today's case, I want to just give a little bit of a warning, okay? It is extremely triggering graphic and very personal. Now, what I want you to do for me for just a minute here is I want you to close your eyes. Not if you're driving, but if you're in a safe space. Close your eyes and imagine being 18 years old and imagine being 18 and pregnant and being in the final months of your pregnancy preparing for what is supposed to be the most exciting and happiest moments of your life. While unbeknownst to you, somebody that you trust and you think is your friend is secretly plotting to kill you and steal your unborn baby. Now, I know that it sounds like the plot of a Lifetime movie or some sort of true crime movie, but for Angelique Robledo, this was her terrifying reality. In 2011, Angelique was a pregnant teenager living in Arizona and she befriended another woman who appeared to be going through the exact same experience. So the two of them bonded over their pregnancies and also what felt like a shared journey into motherhood. However, behind that friendship was a very disturbing plan, one that investigators say involved murder and an attempt to cut out Angelique's unborn child from her womb. Now, crimes like this are known as fetal abductions, and they are relatively rare, although, unfortunately, we have talked about quite a few of them on here. We've talked about Rebecca Park, Heidi Broussard, Reagan Hancock. So, unfortunately, more common than anybody would like. But even though they're rare, when they do happen, they are some of the most shocking cases in true crime. And speaking of the case of Heidi Broussard, I would imagine many of you are familiar with that name. In that case, she was a young mother in Texas who was killed by someone she believed was a close friend of hers. Then that person abducted her newborn child and tried to pass the baby off as her own. Now, Angelique's story, it could have ended the very same way, but thankfully, it didn't. She survived. And today, we are lucky enough to have Angelique in the studio to share her experience firsthand. So please join me in welcoming Angelique. Hi, Angelique. Thank you so much for being here, and welcome to Serial Less Ly.

[Angelique Robledo]

Thank you. It's so nice to be here.

[Annie Elise]

It's nice to have you. So what I would love to do before we get into everything and your experience and everything that you went through, I would love to just start with what high school was like for you. If you could just walk us through that.

[Angelique Robledo]

Yeah, absolutely. School. It was interesting. I. I ran with, like, a really bad crowd, I guess you could say. So I kind of started off with. I moved here from. I moved from California to Arizona, and so I felt like I was out of place a lot of times. Like, a lot of things in California were just different. So I tend to. People, please, I guess you could say. And I tend to, like, fall into the peer. What is it called?

[Annie Elise]

Peer pressure.

[Angelique Robledo]

Peer pressure. Yeah. So I fell into a lot of peer pressure as, like, a teenager. So I did a lot. I feel like I wasn't myself a lot. So I kind of ran with the wrong crowd, got in a lot of trouble, and it kind of, like, I went through, like, a lot of trauma when I was younger. So I got arrested by the cops and things like that, and it was just like. Like, minor things just for, like, getting into a fight or. I think at one point, maybe I shoplifted something. And so it was a very small town. So everybody knew each other in Arizona,

[Annie Elise]

in your new town?

[Angelique Robledo]

In my new town, yeah. Everybody knew each other. So it kind of falls in line because the detective that ran my case had arrested me. Like, wow. And she. So she's been in my life for over, like, five or six years.

[Annie Elise]

Oh. So she saw it come full circle.

[Angelique Robledo]

She saw it come full circle. Yeah.

[Annie Elise]

So when you say you ran with a little bit of a tough crowd, in addition to maybe the fights or the shoplifting, was there anything else that you would goes? It just, like, house parties and things like that.

[Angelique Robledo]

It was. It was just like, house parties. And then I kind of started. When I hit, like, 10th grade, I started to run with, like, I say run with, but, like, I started to hang out with different people, and I feel like I kind of drew away from, like, the old crowd that I was hanging out with. But unfortunately, like, even going through all of that, I was going through a lot of stuff at home and hanging out with, like, the new friends that I was like, I feel like I did get more of a high school experience. Like, I was going to football games. I played soccer.

[Annie Elise]

Oh.

[Angelique Robledo]

So it kind of, like, it was

[Annie Elise]

nice to get that, like, typical high school experience from when Before. It was a little bit tougher.

[Angelique Robledo]

Exactly. So, like, I started actually doing, like, going on, like, I remember, like, we would go and, like, go to, like, run, ride quads, and we would go to Country Thunder. So like, I started to, like, be able to, like, feel like what it was like to actually be a teenager and be with friends who were genuine, and it was. It was a good experience. It really was. Unfortunately, at the end of my high school, though, before I got pregnant with my son, I did fall into an addiction. So I did fall into an addiction with meth. And when I got pregnant with Ryland, I was. I was doing meth at that time. So I feel like Ryland saved my life in a way.

[Annie Elise]

That's amazing. Well, let's walk through that a little bit. When did you discover that you were pregnant? And were you. Was it a surprise? Were you with a boyfriend? You were 18 at the time, so.

[Angelique Robledo]

I was 17.

[Annie Elise]

Oh, 17? Yeah. You got pregnant?

[Angelique Robledo]

I was 17 when I got pregnant, and I. Me and Rylan's dad, his name is Josh, is my husband now, but his name was Josh, and we were just friends at the time. And it was one of those things, like, where it just happened, and then we just didn't talk because I ran more. I was doing drugs at that time. So from then, me and him kind of just didn't talk at all. And I ended up. I was working at Jack in the Box, and I remember there were a few friends there that I was doing, like, the drugs with. And I remember sitting there thinking, like, something's wrong. And they were like, what do you mean? I was like, like, when I do this, like, I'm not able to stay up. Like, I'm vomiting.

[Annie Elise]

Like, it's not having the same effect.

[Angelique Robledo]

It's not having the same effect. Yeah. So I wasn't feeling like, how I was. And I remember my co worker was like, well, do you. Like, what do you think? And I was like, I feel like I think I'm pregnant. And he was like, no. And I was like, yeah. And so I remember I didn't take a test or anything because I was too scared, but I actually came home that night, and my mom was already in my room with a pregnancy test.

[Annie Elise]

Oh, wow. Mother's intuition.

[Angelique Robledo]

Mother's intuition. She was like, she, like, threw the test at me. And she was like, take it. And I was like, no. Like, no. Why are you throwing this at me? She's like, you haven't started your period. And I was like, why are you tracking my stuff? Like, how dare you know. Then I became very defensive. Like, how dare you. My privacy. Like, how dare you do that? And she was like, your period hasn't started. Like, I think something's going on. And so I remember I. Like, I was in a panic, and I was shoving her out of my room, and I took the test, and I went into the bathroom, and I remember I smoked that day. Like, I remember. And I was in the bathroom and I was smoking meth. And I took the test, and not even, like, within five seconds, the test came out positive.

[Annie Elise]

Wow.

[Angelique Robledo]

And so that was like, a really big realization of, like, holy crap. Like, what is going.

[Annie Elise]

What did you feel in that moment? Were you scared, excited?

[Angelique Robledo]

I was terrified. I was extremely terrified. And I immediately called Josh.

[Annie Elise]

And you had said you had stopped talking at this point. Right. And was he using at all?

[Angelique Robledo]

No, he was not using.

[Annie Elise]

So.

[Angelique Robledo]

So that's why me and him didn't talk, because I was running. He was more like, oh, I heard you're doing things. Like, oh.

[Annie Elise]

He was more on the straight and narrow with, okay, I see. And so you guys, how long had it been that you hadn't been talking? At this point?

[Angelique Robledo]

About two months. Okay, so I was about, like, eight weeks pregnant when I found out.

[Annie Elise]

Okay, so relatively early in the pregnancy.

[Angelique Robledo]

Okay, so then.

[Annie Elise]

So you called Josh.

[Angelique Robledo]

I called Josh and I told him, like, hey, like, I'm. I took a test and I'm pregnant. And I'm saying it very nonchalantly. And he's like, what? And I'm like, yeah. And he's like, well, what do you want to do? And I was like, oh, I want to get rid of it. And he. I was like, are you on board with me? Like, I wanted to make sure that we were on the same page. And he was like, yeah. And he actually was throwing up on the phone. Like, the news just, like, made him, like, throw up.

[Annie Elise]

Is he your same age? Was he older?

[Angelique Robledo]

He was about two and a half years older than me, so I was 17 and he. I was turning 18, though, so he was 20.

[Annie Elise]

Now, let me ask this. Not that it matters. I'm just curious. If you hadn't been talking at two for two months, at that point, what made you feel like you wanted to call and share the news with him?

[Angelique Robledo]

My mom had told me, so I got. I missed that part. After my mom found out that. So when I took the test, I went into my room, and she was like, what's going on? And I was like, I'm pregnant. Are you happy? And I threw the test at her. And she was like, you need to call the dad and tell him. Like, you can't just do this on your own. And I was like, I don't even want this baby. Like, it was a whole commotion between me and my mom. But I was also. I was also high at the time. So, like, I was very, like, not in the right state of mind. And so I called because my mom told me, like, I should call. So I did it, like, kind of in the room all by myself. And when I did that, he was just like. I mean, like, I said, he was vomiting, like, when I told him the news. And then I told him, don't worry, like, I'm gonna get rid of it. And he was like, you're gonna. You're gonna have an abortion? And I was like, yes. He's like, I'll help you pay for it. So he was on board with everything. And I remember that night, my brother, my stepbrother, was visiting us from California, and he's about a year older than me, but he started to. He was. He kind of had an idea of what was going on with me, like, what I was doing. So he had went, like, searched my whole room, grabbed all my stuff and flushed it down the toilet. And that night, I remember going into the bathroom and staring at the toilet, and I was so, like, out of my mind. And so just, like, I wanted to figure out how to get that stuff out of the toilet. So I, like, turned the water off. I came out with, like, a wrench. Like, I thought I was gonna take apart the toilet, and. And I sat there on the floor with, like, water everywhere and, like, realized, like, holy crap. Like, I'm. I'm trying to take a toilet apart right now. Like, is this where my life has gotten to? Like, this is what I want. Like, I'm willing to do all of this for drugs, right? Like, that's crazy. And so as, like, the comedown started happening, you know, I stayed up all night, but then I finally fell asleep. And when I woke up, I texted Josh and I said, meet me at the park. Like, meet me at our spot. Like, we were friends prior, so he already knew, like, where we would meet at, so he met me at the park. And I remember walking down the street and I was in a big hoodie and I had glasses on because I was coming down at that time, and I remember, like, pulling. I remember seeing him and he's like, what's going on? Like, do you need the money right now? And I was like, I'm not going to have the abortion. And he's like, why? And I said, so this wasn't even

[Annie Elise]

24 hours later that you had this realization? Wow.

[Angelique Robledo]

Wasn't even 24 hours later. And I remember taking up, like, taking off my hood, taking my glasses off, and being like, look at me. And he's like, yeah, you look like crap. And I was like, exactly. I said, I'm high. Like, I'm coming down right now. And I said, I don't want to. I don't want to do this. Like, I don't want this to be my life. And if I don't have this baby, I'm going to continue, and I'm not going to stop, and it's going to ruin my life. And you don't have to be a part of it. You don't have to agree with it. But, like, I'm going to have this baby because I want my life back. And even if that means of having a baby helps me, then that helps me.

[Annie Elise]

I have to say, at 17 years old, because you were 17 when I said that is pretty courageous and admirable. To have come to that realization on your own and realize, like, this baby will essentially save my life. It will stop me from using. And to have that determination, too, within 24 hours, just while you're coming down, that's pretty incredible, because even grown adults don't have that, you know, Are you tired of waking up hungover and worrying about what happened the night before? Well, now you can have fun and relax without any of the Regrets with Willie's THC Infused Social Tonic Willies is a premium THC infused social tonic that is crafted by the legendary Willie Nelson. Inspired by Willie's way of living, where peace flows freely and hangovers are a thing of the past. It's a low calorie, low sugar alcohol alternative that actually works, delivering a fast acting, euphoric social buzz without the regrets that come with alcohol and Willy. Social tonics come in 5 milligram and 10 milligram doses with a best in class flavor experience. So smooth and balanced and you barely even realize that you're drinking a THC product at all. Enjoy it as a shot sipped over ice or mix it into your favorite mocktail. One shot of Willies helps you relax, unwind and de stress whether you're taking the edge off after a long day or socializing with friends. Willie's also sold out three times in the first six months with over 50,000 happy customers and they just restocked. Willie ships directly to your doorstep in over 40 states, so order now@drink willys.com and use code serial for 20 off your first order plus free shipping on orders over 95. And enjoy life in the hype country okay, can I be honest? I used to just wander around the gym doing whatever I felt like that day. No plan, no progress, probably not even using the machines right. But then I found the Ladder app and it has completely changed how I work out when I go to the gym. What I love is that Ladder is an expert strength training plan. It's not a content library, so these aren't like random influencer workouts but rather real progressive programming designed by certified coaches. You get a new plan every single week and it builds on the last week so your workouts actually connect and you keep progressing over time. And it really does feel like having a coach right there with you because the in ear coaching guides you through every set with cues, form reminders and motivation. It works for however you like to train too, whether that's at home, in the gym, Pilates, bodybuilding, dumbbell only, I mean whatever. And your progress is tracked automatically so you can see yourself getting stronger. Remove the guesswork with Ladder and get a real coach in your ear telling you exactly what to do for every workout. No thinking, everything planned for you. If you have an iPhone, head to Ladder Fit AE and take a quick quiz to find your perfect ladder plan. Use my link and get a free seven day trial with no credit card and $10 off your first month if you join. That's Ladder Fit AE.

[Angelique Robledo]

I come from a family of addicts and so like I've, I've seen it, I've seen the lifestyle of it and like I just, I didn't. Yeah, I didn't want that for myself. And I, I sit there and I replay that that night all the time. Like, because like you said, like a 17 year old doing that, like normally they don't care. They're very selfish. They. I was very proud of you.

[Annie Elise]

They think they know everything. Yeah. You should be, you should be incredibly proud of yourself.

[Angelique Robledo]

Thank you.

[Annie Elise]

Did your mom know that you had been using leading up to this?

[Angelique Robledo]

No. Well, she had an idea because there were moments that like within that two months, like I had ran away. I had tried because my mom found out I was doing drugs and I was, she was like, you need to stop. And of course like, you know, just teenager, like, no.

[Annie Elise]

So I used to run away, you know, everything.

[Angelique Robledo]

I would run away to people's, not run away to people's houses. That like she knew. And bad thing was, is like those parents knew I was doing that and they just let it happen. So I knew this would become like just a cycle and living in a small town, it's. Sometimes it could be good, sometimes it could be bad just cause everybody knows each other and then you know, which like who you can get away with things with.

[Annie Elise]

Absolutely. So you tell Josh, you know, I'm not going forward with determination. I want to keep this baby. I'm going to get clean and you can be as involved as you want or as little as you want. And what was his response to that?

[Angelique Robledo]

He said that he would support me and he would be here for me. And I remember at the very end he gave me a hug and he like kissed my forehead and I said, but there's one, like there's one stipulation. And he said, what? And I said, we are not together. I said, I do not want you to pity me and be with me because I'm having your baby. If you do decide to be with me, I want it to be later down the line because you want to be with me. I don't want you to feel like I put you in a situation that you're stuck in. So for the long. It's funny because like for like five months I refused to call him my boyfriend. So people would be like, oh, your boyfriend? I'd be like, he's not my boyfriend. He's just the father of my boyfriend.

[Annie Elise]

Just a hard headed woman. I respect it, I love it. So what was that like? Then in the couple of months after you decide we're gonna keep this baby, we're gonna, you know, maybe rekindle, see where this goes. How often were you two speaking? How challenging was it to get clean? How were those first few months?

[Angelique Robledo]

They were very. It was a. It was a struggle. It really was. I came clean to, like, my ob. I told them I was very open, so I told them, you know, I have been using. Like, I'm stopped. Like, I'm stopping and, you know, I'm feeling. I was. I was like 106 pound. I was very, very little. I'm normally like 130. So that's just like, what the drugs did to me. And so it was basically just trying to build up, like, my nutrition. I smoked cigarettes a lot too, but the. I was having, like, a lot of panic attacks and anxiety. So they told me, like, basically, like, take a cigarette and, like, take a couple hits and then put it out and keep doing that throughout the day until you start to, like, wean yourself off because, like, weaning yourself off meth and also, like, being pregnant can sometimes just, I guess, like, just shock your body. So they were very helpful with teaching me, like, how to do that. And within, like, a week or two, like, I was fin. I feel like I started to gain weight. I got my friends back. Like, a lot of my friends that I had become, like, the ones I was going, like, out, like, on quads and like, going to Country Thunder with, and, you know, they had taken, like, they. They left me because I was obviously going down a different path than they were. And so I, you know, they came back and they were here to support me.

[Annie Elise]

That probably felt really good.

[Angelique Robledo]

It really did. I still worked at Jack in the Box, too, and my coworkers, even if they were doing something, they were very supportive of me. And I kind of just lived. I was in high school, so I was a senior. I did drop out. It was just really overwhelming, like, coming off of everything and, like, getting to classes. So I took myself out of high school, and I ended up getting my ged, but I still continued to work, and I kind of just stayed to myself, to be honest. I had, like, maybe four or five friends that I talked to, but that's what I needed. Like, I needed to get myself out of everything in order to feel, like, confident that I wasn't gonna use again

[Annie Elise]

and just have a tight circle close knit. And your mom, I would imagine, was very supportive through all.

[Angelique Robledo]

My mom was very supportive through this whole thing. My mom was My best friend. My mom had to believe it or not. You know, when they say you follow your parents footsteps. My mom had had the exact same thing. At 17 years old, she was doing meth and she found out she was pregnant with me. And she.

[Annie Elise]

Oh, my gosh.

[Angelique Robledo]

So I almost wonder, self conscious, like, if I. If I did that because, like, my mom did that. Yeah.

[Annie Elise]

You knew her story.

[Angelique Robledo]

I saw, like, that she could do it. And it was like, if she can do it, like I can do it.

[Annie Elise]

Yeah, she did it for me. I could do it for my child.

[Angelique Robledo]

Exactly. So it was like a full circle moment. So I think her moment was like, I'm so proud of you. Like. Like, am I? Me and my mom are really close. Even though if people ask. In high school, like, we fought a lot.

[Annie Elise]

Of course. I mean, that's typical when it's a. Yeah. When you're a girl and you're in high school. That same with me and my mom. We. And I ran with the bad crowd too. I made a lot. It was very similar in that regard. And we. I always thought I knew better than anybody else. And I remember you had mentioned earlier how you, like, threw the pregnancy test at her and how you were mad. You're like, why are you going through my things? And my dad had once told me a saying that sticks with me to this day. Fear generates anger. So that if you're scared or paranoid in that moment or you're scared of what's happening and getting caught, you out. You lash out at the ones who love you the most, and it just generates anger. So I think that every. I would argue that most girls high school experiences were similar in the sense that they maybe didn't see eye to eye with their mom all the time.

[Angelique Robledo]

That's good. Yeah, I've noticed that too. And especially being a mom now, like, I have three kids, so I. Yeah.

[Annie Elise]

Do you have any girls?

[Angelique Robledo]

I have one daughter. She's my youngest, but man, like, she's. She's eight going on. On 16 right now.

[Annie Elise]

So you know you're gonna be in for it.

[Angelique Robledo]

I know I'm gonna be in for it.

[Annie Elise]

Oh, my gosh. So, okay, so the first few months of pregnancy, you have your tight circle, everybody supportive, you're getting healthy, you have weaned yourself off of drugs. And then when did you and Josh start reconciling in a bigger way and spending more time together?

[Angelique Robledo]

So I feel like once we hit. Once I hit, like six months, give or take, like he was working on. It's called the we call it the Zabawa farm. It's just because, like, Maricopa basically think of, like, a big circle, and there's only two ways out of our town. So you have the Casa Grande highway, which takes, like, 25 minutes, and then you have the 347, which takes, like, 25 minutes. So you're stuck. And then you have this one road that takes you, like, the farmland.

[Annie Elise]

Okay.

[Angelique Robledo]

So he lived out there, and there was this. He had friends that owned, like, the farm, so he worked out there. And I remember it was. They called it picking season because it was. They. They would pick cotton in. In. And so he. I remember he would work constantly, like, literally day and night. So he. I remember he started to. When I started to, like, kind of allow him to be more part of my life, he would come and, like, see me for, like, 10 minutes and then have to go back to work. So it was constantly, like, I didn't see him for, like, a couple weeks, and it was just like that. And then my dad also wasn't very inviting. He was like, no, like, I don't want to meet him. So all the time, my dad had rules, like, you can go outside and talk to him, but he's not welcome in our house. So, like, I'd have to, like.

[Annie Elise]

And why was that? Because he came from. He had more of a calm background, right?

[Angelique Robledo]

Josh Stewart did to a sense, yes. But my dad was just very, very strict. I'm full Hispanic, and so I come from the Mexican household, and I'm the only girl. And so things were just. I hate to say it, but I feel like most. Most Mexican women can say this, like, you're treated differently. The daughter is always treated. It's always more strict. Like, the boys can kind of do whatever they want, and they can.

[Annie Elise]

And your dad's just more protective over you.

[Angelique Robledo]

My dad's way more protective over me. And so, like, it just was like that. And he did not like the fact that I. I mean, he still couldn't come to terms that I was pregnant. So it was like, dad, I'm six months now.

[Annie Elise]

Yeah, yeah.

[Angelique Robledo]

But after a while, I remember my dad. So after, like, that picking season, I think we hit whenever this. There was a football game in Arizona, and my dad had let me invite Josh. That was my dad's first time, like, meeting him.

[Annie Elise]

Okay.

[Angelique Robledo]

And it happened to be with, like, all of our family, so he got to, like, go out to, like, a family event with all of us.

[Annie Elise]

How was that?

[Angelique Robledo]

It was fun. It really was. It was fun.

[Annie Elise]

And did your dad like him? Did they get along?

[Angelique Robledo]

My dad doesn't trust everybody. I'll tell you this right now. I got married in 2020, and I'm actually. I don't even know if my dad would have actually gave the okay like he was. He's still like, I'm not sure if I trust him. And I'm like, dad, it's been. It's been 15 years.

[Annie Elise]

You're always gonna be daddy's little girl.

[Angelique Robledo]

Yes. So for the most part, like, they have a good relationship now, but my dad was always very weary of guys, and I think it was just being very protective. So I don't think my dad really, like, was inviting of Josh until the incident happened to me, because that was more of like a.

[Annie Elise]

Everybody kind of came in.

[Angelique Robledo]

Everybody came in together. Yeah. But before that it was like a. So he met him that one time and then it was like, okay, like, I'm good. I don't need to talk to him again.

[Annie Elise]

Okay. He. But he's, like, aware of who's. What's going on, who Josh is. So around what month of your pregnancy did you meet your new friend who you bonded over with?

[Angelique Robledo]

So friend wise, like, I. I think I told you, like, I had, like, my. My group of friends. There was probably about like four or five of them that, like, were in my inner circle, and nobody could really relate to me. Nobody was pregnant at that time. We maybe had like, maybe two other girls that had babies like earlier, but for the most part, like, nobody was pregnant. So I didn't really have anyone to talk to and, like, relate to me and everybody else. It was senior year, so all my friends, like, they all were in high school, they were all doing the senior things like prank and, you know, homecoming and prom. Just all these different things that I kind of missed out on. And so my friend Hannah, she had called me one day and she was like, hey, I met this girl, her name is Cassandra. She's pregnant, and she's just like you. She just moved to our town. I thought maybe you would like to meet up with us. You know, I told her about you, and I thought you guys would kind of hit it off. And I was like, yeah, that's great.

[Annie Elise]

Somebody, like, minded going through something similar. And how did Hannah know Cassandra?

[Angelique Robledo]

Hannah had met Cassandra. And I actually just found this out because I've never asked her, but I guess she met her, like, just like at a. Like at a friend's house. Like a kickback, I guess. Okay. So I don't know too Much.

[Annie Elise]

So funny you say the word kickback because literally I was recording an episode yesterday and I was talking about, like, it wasn't a house party. It was a small gathering. When I was in school. We used to call it a kickback where it's like 10 or 15 people.

[Angelique Robledo]

Yes, yes, the kickbacks. It's funny, I told my. I, whenever I tell my. My 15 year old now, like, some terminologies that we use, they're like, huh? I'm like, yeah, it's a kickback. Like, there's not too many people there. You can't call it a house party.

[Annie Elise]

Yeah, but it's not just like a close circle. Okay, so they were at a kickback and they met each other.

[Angelique Robledo]

Yeah, they met each other. And I don't know too much about, like, the backstory of that. I think what happened from what I understand is that Cassandra moved to Maricopa and somehow she met, like, other friends of ours. And she kind of had this story that, like, her sister lived out there, but she had the story that she had, like, nowhere to live. So at some point she lived with one of my friends named Sebastian. And I guess while she was pregnant. While she was pregnant. And so I don't know the too much of the dynamic of that, but I do know that Hannah met her there. And so Hannah was like, oh, like Hannah. Hannah was one of the teen moms that, like, had a baby early. So she had a baby like a year and a half, two years prior. And so she was like, oh, like, I have a son, but, like, I know what it's like to be pregnant and alone. Like, let me introduce you to my friend Angelique. And so she was like, oh, yeah, I would love to inter. Like, love to meet her. And I want to say that Cassandra asked, like, if there was anybody that was pregnant. And lo and behold, I was the only one.

[Annie Elise]

Yeah, Small town. Yep, not small town.

[Angelique Robledo]

So.

[Annie Elise]

So tell me about your first time meeting Cassandra and what made you two click with one another.

[Angelique Robledo]

So Hannah had picked me up and we went to Chandler. So Chandler was about like a 25, 30 minute drive. And we went to. It's like right off the i10. It's a Denny's. And I remember Hannah picked me up and Cassandra was in the car also. So we had talked a little bit before we got there. Once we got there, we kind of just like hit it off and, you know, I feel like we were able to connect and just relate on each other, like, oh, like morning sickness or, you know, my back hurts. Or I'm getting a lot of heartburn. Like, I heard that means that they have a lot of hair. Like, it was just really nice to be able to talk to somebody. And I felt really good about it. Like, it felt. It felt really good. I didn't think anything weird or anything was wrong.

[Annie Elise]

And was she similar in terms of her. How far along she was?

[Angelique Robledo]

So she. I think at that moment, I met her, like, the end of November, maybe beginning of December. Ish. And I was about six months, and she was about three months. Okay, three to four months, but still.

[Annie Elise]

So you're relating on the symptoms you guys are going through, probably being like, how was your first trimester? Here's what mine was like. And it felt nice to have someone that you could talk to and share that. Those moments and experiences with.

[Angelique Robledo]

Yes, it felt really nice. And like I said, nobody else could really relate to me on that. Like, except, you know, my mom could tell me things from that, you know, from my brothers and me, but. But it just. I don't know, I feel like as a pregnant woman, sometimes you feel like you're like, everything got taken away from you. You made this choice, but, like, everything got taken away from you and you feel alone. So it was just really, really nice. You know, you see now in days where people go on to mom groups and they want to get friends, and especially when you have a baby and you want somebody to, like, be there with you that has a child that's the same age as yours, like, it's kind of, like, the same thing. I felt, like, really relieved, and I felt like, wow, I made a really. Like, I made. I made a good friend. And even later on that day, we went to Babies R Us, and, you know, we got that, like, that little gun, and you, like, run around and start scanning to register. Exactly. So we both created our registries that day, and we. Oh, my gosh, we did, like, our. Like, we just did, like, a little bit of things that we found. So that was really nice. And then after that, we went home and we exchanged, you know, numbers. And at that time, socials was just, like, my space. And I think Facebook was just coming around. So, like, we exchanged, like, our Facebooks.

[Annie Elise]

Okay.

[Angelique Robledo]

And we honestly stayed in contact all the way until the incident. We texted all the time.

[Annie Elise]

How often would you see each other? You would text all the time. How often would you guys get together and see each other? Because at that point, you said you were, what, around six months? So you had, I guess, three, but technically probably like, four more months. To go. So how often would you guys get together and what would you do?

[Angelique Robledo]

So we actually never got together after that.

[Annie Elise]

Oh, you didn't. You would just talk via social media and text message.

[Angelique Robledo]

Just social media, Just text message. I worked and I also just didn't. I don't know. It was really hard getting me out of the house. I felt I kind of self isolated myself for a while just because there was no reason about it. Just like I felt I wanted to stay away from things. And she lived in a house that had kickbacks and she was living with our friend Sebastian. So I just stayed away from there. But we talked all the time. She would fight with her. I do remember she has a husband. So that's one thing that was very different. Obviously I had Josh. I think at that time I started to call Josh my boyfriend.

[Annie Elise]

And was she your age?

[Angelique Robledo]

She was nine days young, Younger than me.

[Annie Elise]

Okay. And was this her first pregnancy as well?

[Angelique Robledo]

This was her first pregnancy as well.

[Annie Elise]

Okay. But she was married.

[Angelique Robledo]

She was married. She dropped out, I believe, like her sophomore year or maybe even junior year.

[Annie Elise]

Okay.

[Angelique Robledo]

And so this guy, she. Well, the story that she told us was like that she had been talking to this guy since she was like in like middle school. And so they had gotten married and she was having his baby. That was the whole reason, like they got married because she was pregnant with his baby. But he lived in like Chandler, I believe, and she lived in Maricopa, so about a 35 minute like drive. And everybody knew about this guy. So everybody knew who Edwin was. Nobody had ever talked to him. Nobody had ever met him.

[Annie Elise]

But they had heard about him.

[Angelique Robledo]

They heard about him. We would hear him on the phone. Like she was always talking to somebody in Spanish.

[Annie Elise]

What did anybody ever ask her? If you're married? Yeah, I guess 35 minutes is kind of a drive, but not really if you're married and if you're pregnant with his child, why aren't you guys living together? Why are you couch surfing and living on it at Sebastian's house? House.

[Angelique Robledo]

So those were questions that like we asked. And I think, I feel like she said that he was working and like his mom didn't. Like she had like a story, like along the lines of like, he still lives with his mom. Like, she doesn't like her. I do know that like Cassandra's mom had passed away, which I did find out was like 100 true. She did pass away. The dad, I believe, lived in Mexico. And so she was live. She was supposed to be living with her sister. In Maricopa. I don't know, like, what happened or why she never really opened up about, like, that situation.

[Annie Elise]

Yeah, she was just kind of on her own.

[Angelique Robledo]

She was kind of on her own. So she was just. Yeah. Couch surfing. Cause she would stay at Sebastian's and then she would stay at Hannah's. So she would kind of go back and forth.

[Annie Elise]

Okay. So you guys would talk, you were friendly, you would share. Even through the upcoming months. Seven months, eight months, nine months. Here's how I'm feeling. How are you doing? Did you get your registry? Did you have a baby shower, things like that?

[Angelique Robledo]

Yes.

[Annie Elise]

Okay.

[Angelique Robledo]

And then I even invited her. So my baby shower was like. Like, my baby shower was in February. I think I was due in March. Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was.

[Annie Elise]

So it was very close to it. And she didn't go to your baby shower, though.

[Angelique Robledo]

She didn't. I invited her. She did sound like she was going to come, and then she didn't. I didn't even notice that she didn't make it because we had. I had so many people between Josh and I, between our families. Like, my whole house was filled. I was very, very blessed. Like, I got double of things off my registry. Like. Like, it was. It was.

[Annie Elise]

You had a lot of support. That's amazing.

[Angelique Robledo]

And it's crazy because I felt so alone. But that day of my baby shower, I felt like, oh, my gosh. All my friends, like, they're showing up. They're showing up just because they couldn't. It was kind of one of those things where it was like, we're in high school. Like, they have things that they're doing too. And that's kind of like why I wanted a friend. Because we're in two different lifestyles.

[Annie Elise]

You're on this more like expedited adult grown up path while everybody else is still having keg parties or going to the tailgating at the football game and

[Angelique Robledo]

so going to the high bridge. Yes. Everything.

[Annie Elise]

It probably felt nice to finally be back and be like, okay, I'm not so different. It's not as isolating.

[Angelique Robledo]

So it was really. Yeah, it was really nice.

[Annie Elise]

Oh, good.

[Angelique Robledo]

And then I realized she sent me a text message later that day and said, hey, I'm so sorry I wasn't feeling good. Like, I wasn't able to make it, but I would love to, like, make it up to you. Oh, okay. And then I think that just. I had my baby shower and then I want to say Valentine's Day happened on the 14th. And then she messaged me on the 15th and was like, can I come over tomorrow? I have baby shower gifts for you. Like, I'm so sorry I wasn't able to, but I would love to spend a day with you trying to make

[Annie Elise]

up for not being there.

[Angelique Robledo]

Yes. And actually she wanted. Specifically, she wanted me to come to her. So she did want me to come to her house, but I told her Sebastian's. Okay. Sorry, I jumped ahead.

[Annie Elise]

No, that's okay.

[Angelique Robledo]

She had gotten kicked out of Sebastian's and she went back to live with her sister.

[Annie Elise]

What did you get kicked out for?

[Angelique Robledo]

So Sebastian. I never. And the funny thing is I never asked. I actually found out from one of the ID channels. They interviewed Sebastian and I guess he just said that because she wasn't doing anything.

[Annie Elise]

Oh. She was just kind of to addicted deadbeat. Hanging around.

[Angelique Robledo]

He called it. He called it squatting.

[Annie Elise]

Okay. So she moves back in with her sister and she's like, I so sorry I couldn't make it to your baby shower. I want to make it up to you. I have gifts. Can you come over? And at this point, did you feel like anything was off with her?

[Angelique Robledo]

No, I didn't feel like anything was off. She was very. I feel like she. I'm trying to figure out the words, how to use it. I feel like she was very needy.

[Annie Elise]

Okay. And in. How so? In the way of wanting to know where you're going, what you're doing, wanting to talk to you, having, like, ownership over your time, it seemed like she

[Angelique Robledo]

always, when she would text me, if I didn't text back right away, like, she would be like, hey, like, are you. Are you gonna answer me? Like, hey, like, I'm just checking on you. And I'd be like, oh, sorry. Like, I was in a doctor appointment or hey, like, sorry, I had work.

[Annie Elise]

Like, how many text messages do. Would you say she sent you a day?

[Angelique Robledo]

If I didn't answer, it was like, just like, like, like a follow up. So it wasn't. It wasn't crazy. It wasn't like a lot. Like, because she'd even go days without talking to me. So it was random. But when she would talk to me, like, sometimes we get into, like, a texting conversation and we would, you know, just go on. But if I. If we were in, like, a conversation and I did not answer her back, like, she'd be like, hey, like, hey. And then she'd call me like, hey. I just, I had. I had that question, can you answer it? And as a teenager, like, it was annoying.

[Annie Elise]

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[Annie Elise]

And would you guys talk on the phone as well or just mainly text message?

[Angelique Robledo]

We would talk on the phone also. And then like she would post like baby. Like this is when we first started kind of going into Facebook. So like I would post like my ultrasound pictures and then like immediately after she would post her ultrasound pictures and then she'd be like, oh, like my baby. Like, and she was, I do know that like with I didn't get to hang out with her too much but all my other friends like got to meet her at the kick. I got different kickbacks.

[Annie Elise]

Yeah.

[Angelique Robledo]

And they said like she just constantly always was like, oh, my baby. Like always talking about it was like

[Annie Elise]

her Whole world, her whole life.

[Angelique Robledo]

It was her whole personality.

[Annie Elise]

Okay.

[Angelique Robledo]

Having this baby was her own, like, her whole personality. She wanted everybody to know what she was naming the baby. You know, I'm having this, I'm having that.

[Annie Elise]

Like, did she say if she was having a boy or a girl?

[Angelique Robledo]

She was having a boy.

[Annie Elise]

Okay. Yeah.

[Angelique Robledo]

Like me. Yes. So we both kind of just. I don't know. People like Josh even met her once. Actually, now that I think about it. He went to one of the kickbacks. I stayed home. And I remember Josh went to one and he came. I think we met up the next day. And he was like, hey, I met that girl Cassandra. He was like, like, she's an odd one. And I was like, why? He's like, she just, like, talks a lot. And I was like, yeah. He's like. And she's, like, obsessed with this baby. Like, she's so excited, but, like, where is this husband? Like, yeah. So everybody started to have questions about,

[Annie Elise]

like, what's the true story of, like, her husband, why she's living here, what's going on? Okay.

[Angelique Robledo]

Yes. So everybody kind of. But. But we're all 17, 18 year olds that we're all just like, you know, like, nowadays it's like, I'd be like,

[Annie Elise]

like, now we're exposed to more darkness in the world.

[Angelique Robledo]

Exactly. And not that much darkness was. I mean, it was always there. Darkness has always been there. It just was not. There was no platforms. There was nothing. We didn't talk about this.

[Annie Elise]

The visibility wasn't there.

[Angelique Robledo]

We were taught not to talk about our traumas. So, like, people didn't talk about these types of things. So, you know, we didn't ask and question stuff. And after that, it was. That's when she came. So she ended up asking if I can come to her house. And I remember I was watching Grey's Anatomy with my mom, and I was laying in bed with her, her. And I like, sigh. And. And she goes, why? And I was like, my friend Cassandra. And she was like, why? And I was like, well, she didn't come to my baby shower. She's like, oh, are you upset? And I was like, no. I was like, but she has these gifts and she wants me to go to her house. And I just. I'm not feeling good. Like, I haven't been feeling good. My pregnancy, we ended up finding out later I have preeclampsia. So it makes sense, like, why I'm not feeling good. But I don't know this at the time, so I'm just like, Explaining to my mom like, I just don't have the energy. Like. And she's like, just invite her here. And I like, was.

[Annie Elise]

Was like, oh, and how many months pregnant were you at this point?

[Angelique Robledo]

I was nine months pregnant.

[Annie Elise]

Nine months. Okay, so you invite. So you're like, I'm not gonna go over there. It's too much like I'm tired. Which, same. I don't. You couldn't pay me to get out of the house. So I get that. So then you're like, we'll invite her over to our house and she can bring the gifts. We can, we can catch up. We can see each other again and it'll be great.

[Angelique Robledo]

Exactly.

[Annie Elise]

Okay, so walk us through the day that Cassandra came over the. Just at the very beginning of it.

[Angelique Robledo]

So Cassandra texted me and said, I'm gonna be getting dropped off. And I was like, okay, that's fine. You know, I sent her my address and my brother had. It was like nine in the morning and my brother answered the door and it was February 16th.

[Annie Elise]

Sunny, cold, rainy.

[Angelique Robledo]

It was sunny.

[Annie Elise]

Okay.

[Angelique Robledo]

It's always sunny.

[Annie Elise]

Yeah, true. It's Arizona. Hello. I don't even know why.

[Angelique Robledo]

No, we do. We do have monsoon season, but.

[Annie Elise]

So 9am on a what weekday?

[Angelique Robledo]

So I don't even remember.

[Annie Elise]

So 9am Sunny. And she's coming over for the day. Yes. Okay. Okay. So your brother opens the door.

[Angelique Robledo]

My brother opens the door and she's being dropped off by a man in like this white van. And that's all my brother saw was like a white van. And he's about. My brother was. I'm 10 years older than him, so he would have been 8 years old at this time.

[Annie Elise]

Oh, wow. Okay. And did you have any other plans that day? Was she gonna come over for just a little bit of time? Was she just gonna come over indefinitely and you guys were just gonna hang or what was the plan?

[Angelique Robledo]

There was like no plan. It was just like, hey, like, if you wanna come over and hang out with me, like, I'll be home with my family. And she was like, yeah, I would love that. Okay. With no. Like, I had no expectations of like, what was gonna happen. Yep.

[Annie Elise]

And who was at the house in addition to you and your 8 year old brother?

[Angelique Robledo]

So my 8 year old brother was there and my 13 year old brother was there. And then my mom was there, My dad was at work.

[Annie Elise]

Okay.

[Angelique Robledo]

So it was just us, us there. So my brothers, myself and my mom. And she had walked in, she had this like big diaper bag with her. It was A really big diaper bag. Bag. And she said that all the gifts were in there. And I remember my mom asked, like, oh, do you want me to take the bag? She was like, no, no, no, I got it. And we're like, okay. And she was like, well, I want to show you the gifts later. Like, I want to talk with you and hang out. And I was like, yeah, that's totally fine. So she puts the bag, like, away, like, in the front room, and she just hangs out with us all day. And to be quite honest, like, we didn't do too much. It was mainly just like, I remember, like, we migrated from, like, the kitchen table to, like, the couch. And we just started talking about, like, you know, just, like, certain things. We had spent a lot of the day. This is like, when Team mom was coming. Like, when, like, the OGs were coming out. Like, I remember watching, like, Kale on. And, you know, just, like, Janelle. All of them on. And, you know, we were talking about all the drama between them. And at one point, it went to a commercial break, and we started talk. She started asking, like, questions about, like, certain things. Like, about. She started asking questions about Brad birth. And we were making a joke because.

[Annie Elise]

What kind of questions?

[Angelique Robledo]

So we lived about 40 minutes away from the nearest hospital. So she would be like, what would happen if, like, we went into labor? And I'm like, what do you mean? She was like, well, what would happen? Like, we live so far away from a hospital. Like, I was like, oh, we would probably just go to the hospital.

[Annie Elise]

Yeah, call 911 or call 911 or something.

[Angelique Robledo]

My mom was like, it doesn't happen. Like, my mom was like. My mom jumped in and was like, it doesn't happen like the movie State. Like, yeah, sometimes it could happen like that, but everybody's different. Normally you don't just have the baby right once you start getting your contraction. So my mom's, like, kind of going into detail.

[Annie Elise]

So your mom was very much involved in this hangout session. She was around.

[Angelique Robledo]

She was around the whole day.

[Annie Elise]

Okay, and what time of day was this now?

[Angelique Robledo]

This was probably about, like, 10:30, 11. So earlier. She got dropped off about nine.

[Annie Elise]

So it's been a couple hours. You've been hanging out, just talking, catching up, watching TV now. And your mom's been there. Your brothers are there.

[Angelique Robledo]

Okay, My brothers are in their room. And so my mom is just outside. My mom. My mom tends to hang out with me and my friends, so.

[Annie Elise]

So, hey, I love that.

[Angelique Robledo]

So she would. Yeah, she just basically stayed the whole day with us just talking and everything like that. And then that's when they were talking about, like, you know, the births. But then she was like, well, what happens if we need a C section? My mom was like, what do you mean? She was like. My mom kept on saying, like, what do you mean? Like, needing her to kind of explain a little bit more. She was like, well, how? Like, what would happen? Like, what if you needed an emergency C section? My mom was like, oh, like, same thing. You know, you go to the hospital, it's not like you need a C section. They're going to cut you open. Like in your house. Like, all of this is done, like, you know, at a hospital.

[Annie Elise]

Protocol for it.

[Angelique Robledo]

Yes. And then she looks at my mom and she goes, wait, have you had a C section? My mom goes, yeah, I had a C section with Angelique's youngest brother, Isaac. And she goes, oh, like, how was it? She was like, oh, you know, like, they, you know, they give you, like, medicine. You don't feel everything. It's scary, but, you know, it's. My mom just kind of goes into detail of like, what. Like. Like what the C section felt like.

[Annie Elise]

Yeah.

[Angelique Robledo]

And I remember this is, like, where she became very intrigued into the conversation. And she was like, well, how far do they cut? Like, do they cut up and down or they cut side to side? And my mom was like, they cut side. Like, from side to side.

[Annie Elise]

And she was anything going off in your mind of like, why are you asking so many fucking questions? Or like, what's going on here? Were you just kind of like, oh, maybe she doesn't have, like, her mom of her? Her mom had passed. Maybe she just hasn't had anybody teach her this stuff.

[Angelique Robledo]

I honestly didn't think anything of it because I felt like they were really. I mean, to be quite honest, like, me and my mom hadn't even had the conversation.

[Annie Elise]

So you were hear. Curious, too, to hear the answers?

[Angelique Robledo]

I was curious to hear the answer because, like, we all don't want to have a C section, like, to hear of these things, but, like, I don't want to be cut open.

[Annie Elise]

Yeah.

[Angelique Robledo]

So I remember sitting there and I was just like, you know, listening and kind of just like, watching my mom. My mom kind of took. Took a role in it. Like, she took control of the whole conversation of. With Cassandra when it came to the C section. And I just kind of observed everything, but I didn't think anything. There was a part of me that just felt like everything was weird, to be honest, but, like, I do. I do talk about that with my mom after the situation. So. So she's telling. My mom's telling her, like, no, you go from side to side. And Cassandra goes, okay. She literally stands up, lifts her shirt up, and goes, can you show me?

[Annie Elise]

Oh, my God.

[Angelique Robledo]

And my mom goes. I mean, like, mine. And my mom was like, you can't see, like, where. Like, where mine is at. Like, she's like, you have to understand, like, your belly gets big and they cut, and then it goes. And then, like, when you. You know, obviously, your belly goes back down, and, like, I'm not gonna show you my scar. She goes, but. But, like, from there, like, around there. And Cassandra goes like this. Like, she literally has her shirt up like this, and she's just, like, looking, and I'm just like. Then I started. I started to feel eerie at that time. And then she started asking more questions, like, well, what happens if the baby's not breathing? And my mom goes, oh, they get the moco sucker. And she goes, what's that? And she goes, you know, like, the little bulb. It's a bulb. And they put it in the baby, like, in the mouth, and they start suctioning out, like, if whatever there is in there. And she was like, oh, I've never seen one. And I. I'm like, you never seen one? Like, I feel like everybody has seen, like, this, like, you know, blue bulb that they give you.

[Annie Elise]

I feel like we used to have it when we were younger that they would use for, like, if you Even rinsing out your ears or, like, your

[Angelique Robledo]

nose or doing, like, the cleanse thing.

[Annie Elise]

Yes. Well, yeah. What do you. I forget what that's called, where you, like, shoot the water up and it comes down the other side the other way.

[Angelique Robledo]

A cat. Is it a kettle thing?

[Annie Elise]

Something like that. But basically, for anybody who doesn't understand what it is, it's, like, very 90s, but it's, like baby blue, if I remember. And the bulb is probably the size of not a tennis ball. A little bit smaller than that. And then it has, like, the big, like, whatever you would call it, like, almost like a. It looks like a turkey baster kind of, but way smaller.

[Angelique Robledo]

That is perfect. That is. Yes, that's exactly what I want.

[Annie Elise]

A suction tool.

[Angelique Robledo]

They use it as a suction tool. And you get sent home with those from the hospital to use to, like, get the boogers, you know, like, we call them mocos, but, you know, boogers. And so, yeah, she was very confused about it, and she asked me. Me Did I get one for my baby shower? And I was like, oh, yeah, I got one. She was like, oh, remind you, my baby shower was, like, three days prior, I think. So we're 16th, 15th, 14th. It was a day before. Like, I want to say it was like, the day before Valentine's Day or something. Whatever that weekend was is when my baby shower was. And I had not gone through my gifts. There were so many. It was so overwhelming. My whole couch. Like, I had an L couch. The whole back of the couch was filled.

[Annie Elise]

Wow.

[Angelique Robledo]

It was so much. And so I hadn't even tried to go through them yet. And she wanted me to dig through them and to go find it for her. And I was like, no.

[Annie Elise]

And what was her explanation? She just had never seen one. She would never know what it looked like. So she's like, oh, did you get one? I want to see. I've never seen it.

[Angelique Robledo]

And then she went back. I told her I didn't want to. I was like, I'm not gonna go look through that. And she was like, I'll go look. And she, like, got up, and I was like, I got a better idea. My laptop's right here. Let me show you what it looks like on Google, because, like, good luck trying to find them in there. Like, I have no idea what bag it's in. And I literally, like, pull it up for her on Google. And she goes, oh, okay, okay. And I was like, yeah. I was like, they use it for, like, the boogers. Like, that's what. I'm pretty sure that's what you get sent home with, but I'm not an expert on it, so I don't know. And that did make me feel a certain way. I remember after that, I still hadn't talked to my mom at that point. Like, alone. Then my mom. So it started to hit lunch time, so my mom was like, let me make you guys some food. We have leftover ganesada and chicken. And, you know, let me make you guys some food, and you guys can sit down and eat. So we went and we sat down, and we started, like, she was making us food, and we started to get into other conversations just about, like. Like, our life and stuff like that, I think. I think at one point we asked her, like, about her mom, and she kind of told her. Told us that, like, her mom passed away from breast cancer. And she told us, like, how, you know, increased, like, how much, like, pain her mom was in. And it was really sad, honestly. Like, I. She's. She cried. I cried. My mom cried. Like, it was just a really sad moment because, you know, she was like, I wish, like, my mom could be here to, like, yeah, be with me and, like, go through this with me. She's like, you're so lucky, like, to have a mom. And then things started to, like, take a turn. Not, like. Not like a turn, but I started to feel. This is when I started to really feel certain ways with her because she started to, like, mimic my life. So, like, I would say something, like, for an example, I got arrested for. For hitting my mom. Me and her gone to a fight. It wasn't like, a really bad altercation, but I did. I did, like, get in trouble, and so I got arrested for it. And all of a sudden, like, she had the exact same story. And it was, like, to a T, though. Like, it wasn't. It was almost exactly like it. Or, you know, I. When I was, like, 14, like, I jumped out my nana's window and ran away for, like, a week. And, like, she was like, oh, my gosh. I did the exact same thing. Like, I went. And it was just.

[Annie Elise]

Everything was, like, mirroring everything.

[Angelique Robledo]

She was mirroring everything that I did. Everything. Like, any. Anything that I. We talked about that we were joking about from, like. Like, when I was younger, it was. She had the exact same story.

[Annie Elise]

Had she done that in the past when you guys were texting and talking? Or was this more amplified now that she was at your house?

[Angelique Robledo]

This is way more amplified. I didn't. The way I was feeling at my house wasn't the same way. Like, I felt, like, throughout our whole conversations.

[Annie Elise]

So you felt that something was off. Were you feeling scared or were you feeling more like, this girl feels like a stalker, Like a weirdo, Annoyed.

[Angelique Robledo]

I thought she was weird. I thought she was weird. But she would. And then she would stop, and then she would just go back to, like, thank you guys so much. Like, you guys are such, like, great people. Like, the hospitality. Like, I wish my family was more welcoming like this. Like, she kind of. She. She played with my. My, like, with my heartstrings for it. Like, she kept on, like, trying to. Like, it made me feel uneasy. But then she was, like, reeling me back into, like, a reality.

[Annie Elise]

Like a poor girl. Like, she just needs someone to care for her.

[Angelique Robledo]

Yes. And so. And there was this one thing that kept happening. She kept having somebody call her, and she would talk to them in Spanish. And my mom understands Spanish. Um, unfortunately, we don't. They just didn't pass it on. They just didn't teach Us. But my mom understands Spanish. So, like, she would hear her talk. And I think at one point there was a joke that was made, and she giggled. And my mom. And she looked at my mom and was like, you understand Spanish? And she was like, yeah, like, I understand. Like, I don't speak fluently. And she was like, oh. So then, like, all her conversations started happening everywhere. Like, she would take the. Every time a phone call would come in, she would leave the room, and she would go somewhere else to have this conversation.

[Annie Elise]

Oh, wow. I'm just making notes as we're talking, because I want to come back to that.

[Angelique Robledo]

Yeah. So that was really odd and weird, but at the same time, I'm kind of reel that back in. It's weird. Hindsight 20 20. But at that moment, think about us. Like, if I'm in an important conversation. You speak English, I speak English. I maybe don't want you to hear what's going on. So I'm going to take the conversation in a different room. So I just thought, oh, okay. Like, whatever's going on, she needs privacy for. Yes. So she went to go take her phone call, and I remember doing dishes with my mom, and I looked at her and I. I said, what do you think about her mom? She goes, oh, she's nice. And I said, you don't think she's weird? Like, I think she's weird. And she was like, well, what do you. Why do you think she's weird? I said, I feel like she's, like, mimicking me. Like, she, like, wants my life. I don't know. I was like, I'm just getting this weird, like, feeling about her that, like, she's. I don't know if, like, things are being made up or. And she was like, angelique, like, I understand. She goes, you need to understand, though. Like, she doesn't have a mom. She's new to a town. You know, she probably feels, like, uneasy even being here. Like, you can tell that she's a good person. And I think she just really wants to be your friend. And I think you're doing a great thing by, like, being her friend and being there for her. So my mom kind of made me, as a mom, would. Would bring me down from, like, how I'm feeling.

[Annie Elise]

Yeah.

[Angelique Robledo]

And I thought, like, Angela, you're such. You're like. You're being a bitch. Like, you're kind of just being a mean girl now. Like. Like. So I felt like, okay, I need to take a step back and realize that this girl has gone through a lot in her life. And maybe I. She doesn't have a mom or a dad, and she's kind of like, obviously, whatever's going on in her life, this husband of hers isn't, like, amazing. They fight all the time.

[Annie Elise]

She's lost a little bit.

[Angelique Robledo]

She's a lost soul is kind of like how I. How I saw it. So I was like, okay, not every friendship is perfect. And maybe she's not going to be, like, my best friend or, like, somebody super close, but I can be friendly with her. So that's how my mindset was, like, continuing the rest of the day.

[Annie Elise]

Okay.

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[Annie Elise]

So then walk me through the rest of the day. What happened after lunch?

[Angelique Robledo]

So then she wanted to ask. She kept that time. She asked me if I would go for a walk with her. So when she returned back from talking to somebody, she was like. So I saw that there was a park down the street. She was like, do you want to go for a walk? And I was like, oh, no, girl. Like, I. I just ate. Like, I don't feel good. Like, I'm nine months pregnant.

[Annie Elise]

Like, I'm not going for a walk to the park.

[Angelique Robledo]

Yeah. I was like, I'm not gonna do that. I just don't want to. And she was like, oh, like, it'll be really nice. She kept trying to p me to do it, and I was like, I don't want to. And I feel like at that time, I still. We went back to the couch, and at that point, I started to, like, fake yawn, to, like, hopefully get.

[Annie Elise]

Get her the hint to be like,

[Angelique Robledo]

time for you to go, Time for you to leave. Yeah, Like, I just. It was. Even though my mom made me feel better, like, I was done hosting, like, at that point, I really was tired.

[Annie Elise]

Yeah, No, I believe it tapped out. Yeah, a lot.

[Angelique Robledo]

I was tapped out. Like, I wanted to stop. So then I just started, like, fake yawning. And then I was like, oh, like, I'm so tired. And she was like, oh, I'm so sorry. Like my sister, I don't have a key to the house. My sister's not going to be home till later tonight. I hope it's okay that I stay here. And then I was like, darn it.

[Annie Elise]

Yeah.

[Angelique Robledo]

I was like, oh, man.

[Annie Elise]

Okay, you're all sure, you're all. Can I just go in my room and close the door and like, go to sleep?

[Angelique Robledo]

Like, can you, my mom, hang out and just let me know what happened and I'll be back.

[Annie Elise]

Yeah.

[Angelique Robledo]

So then I was like, crap. Okay, Angela, put your big girl pants on. You still have to host. Like. Like, let's now watch more Teen Mom. Yeah. So we started watching more tv. But she had asked me again if I would go. Like, wanted to go for another walk. And I was like, no, I really don't want to. Then she tried to bribe me into coming to her house. She goes, well, I can make you cookies. And I was like, I don't like cookies.

[Annie Elise]

I was like, I thought you didn't have a key.

[Angelique Robledo]

Exactly. Yeah, exactly. Actually, now that you're saying I've never even thought about that. Now that you're saying that that is a full circle that I've never even thought about. But yeah, she kept on trying to get me. What if we go back to my house? Or, like, I can make you, like, you know, your favorite meal, your favorite dish, like. And I was like, no, I'm not.

[Annie Elise]

I'm here. My mom just made food for us. Like, get out of my face.

[Angelique Robledo]

Like. Like, you're kinda.

[Annie Elise]

She's trying to get you alone.

[Angelique Robledo]

She's trying to get me alone. And I don't think she anticipated my whole family being home the whole day. So that's why it felt like now looking back, she. She kept. There were. There were points where she kept trying to get me to leave, but I kept shutting it down. And. And at. At some point, she finally took the hint. Like, we're not going anywhere. So now it's about. I really think we just sat on the couch for like hours, to be honest. Cause I can't really remember. There was nothing else that stood out to me except for watching TV the whole day. And then it started to hit like four o'. Clock. And at five, I think is like my brother's football practices.

[Annie Elise]

Okay.

[Angelique Robledo]

So I do remember my mom saying, like, hey, girls, like, we have football practice. Like, we're gonna go to Picana, you know? I know, Cassandra, you've talked about, like, going for a walk. Like, Angela, what do you think? Like, what if I just take you guys to the park and you guys can go for like a small Walk. If you feel tired, I'll bring you back home.

[Annie Elise]

Home.

[Angelique Robledo]

And I was like, you know what? Yeah, you know what? I could do that. Like, I'm feeling better now. Like, I'm not full. Like, let. Let's go for a walk. Like, Cassandra, do you want to go do that? Like, since you, you know, been pushing for it. Yeah. You've been pushing to get out.

[Annie Elise]

Yeah.

[Angelique Robledo]

And she was like, you know what? I don't feel good. Is it okay if we just stay here? And I was like, that is fine, Mom. She's not. I mean, we're just trading places now. Like, yeah, I understand where you're coming from, because I felt like that earlier. So I was like, mom, you know what? You guys go ahead. We're gonna stay home. Home. Cause Andrew, want me to do your nails? Like, I have some, you know, new nail polishes. And she was like, that'd be great. So my mom left, and I took both your brothers. She took both my brothers. They both had both.

[Annie Elise]

So now it is just you and Cassandra in the house.

[Angelique Robledo]

It is now just me and Cassandra at the house. It's about 5, 30ish.

[Annie Elise]

Okay.

[Angelique Robledo]

And I pull out, like, all my nail stuff. I have, like, my filing stuff. And I sit there, and I'm starting to, like, file my nails. And then she goes, your gifts. And at this point, my parents had, like, my mom left. Everybody was going, gone. And she was like, your gifts. I want to give you your gifts. And I was like, oh, forgot about those things. Like, I didn't even, like, that's the whole point that, like, the reason why she came. But I completely honestly forgot. I'm doing my nails, and she tells me about the gifts. So I'm like, okay, let's go ahead and do these gifts. She pulls out my chair from my kitchen and puts it in the middle of my kitchen and goes, okay, sit in the chair. Turn around and close your eyes. And I'm like.

[Annie Elise]

Like, she was going to surprise you with them or something.

[Angelique Robledo]

And I was like, oh, okay. And so, like, I literally. I'm in the middle of my kitchen. I'm sitting in a chair just like this. And I'm sitting there like this with my back turned to her. And one by one, she would come up, and then she would, like, come over my head, and, like, a gift would get dropped in my lap. And so, like, I would get the gift, and I would open it, and it'd be like a baby onesie. And then again, she would come back, drop something else in my lap, a Newborn, like a blanket.

[Annie Elise]

This is so weird.

[Angelique Robledo]

So weird.

[Annie Elise]

Okay, like, who does this? If I was just sitting in the middle of the kitchen, and my friend was like, I'm just gonna drop a gift one by one in your lap from behind. Like, what game is this?

[Angelique Robledo]

That is what I mean, though. Like, when people ask me, like, they're like, well, what do you mean? She was weird. I'm like, you don't understand.

[Annie Elise]

This is weird.

[Angelique Robledo]

It's weird. Like, it's weird.

[Annie Elise]

It's nice, but it's weird.

[Angelique Robledo]

It's weird. Like. And I don't know, like, you know, like, when you were in high school and you were just like, you're a weirdo. Yeah. Like, it didn't necessarily mean that you're gonna come kill me. It just meant, like, you're a weirdo. Yeah. Like, you only know what that terminology is if you used it before.

[Annie Elise]

Exactly.

[Angelique Robledo]

And this was just a weird moment. But I will say the gifts were coming. Like, the gifts were coming.

[Annie Elise]

Like they were gonna taste me. No.

[Angelique Robledo]

And I remember opening it, but when I opened it, I remember taking, like, a big whiff of it and, like, it just reeked like cologne. Like a man.

[Annie Elise]

The ones he did.

[Angelique Robledo]

All of it did. Like, the onesie. The newborn blanket, the. Like, the receiving blanket, there was like a. Like a. Like a pajama set.

[Annie Elise]

Were they. Did they have tags on them? Were they wrapped? Wrapped? So they were just wrapped, like, wrapped? Not like in.

[Angelique Robledo]

It's like in tissue paper.

[Annie Elise]

Okay. So even the blackets. Blackets, the blankets, they weren't in, like, you know how sometimes they come in, like, a plastic zipper case type thing? They weren't in anything. They didn't have the cardboard on the corner. Nothing.

[Angelique Robledo]

So I had instantly come to the conclusion that they were all hand me downs, which.

[Annie Elise]

Okay.

[Angelique Robledo]

My mom had taught me that you don't throw a fit. You just take what you get and you just. You be happy about it. You don't say anything, even if you don't like it. You pretend like you're grateful.

[Annie Elise]

You.

[Angelique Robledo]

You be grateful for what you get. So that's how I was raised, and that's how I took it. So I am sitting here thinking in my head, like, what is going on? But, like, they're gifts. They are real things that are happening.

[Annie Elise]

Yeah.

[Angelique Robledo]

And it just kept. It was very. It felt like it was in slow motion, though, because it just felt like she was walking and then dropping it in my lap. And then, like, I would open it and I'd be like, oh, my gosh this is so cute. Thank you. She goes, okay, I'm going with the next one.

[Annie Elise]

Would you turn around and say thank you to her and, like, doing. Or you would just stay with your back to her and be like, oh, my God, this is so cute. Thank you. And then just kind of like, wait for the next one.

[Angelique Robledo]

Yes. And then just sit there. And I would. She was. It felt like slow mo, but I mean, she was coming to the point periodically, like, where I was able. Like, the gifts were just coming.

[Annie Elise]

How many gifts were there?

[Angelique Robledo]

1. 2. So there was a baby blanket. There was a baby blanket. There was a receiving blanket. There was a newborn onesie. There was a pajama set. There was booties, a beanie. That might have been it.

[Annie Elise]

And they were all individually wrapped.

[Angelique Robledo]

All individually wrapped.

[Annie Elise]

Okay, so six different gifts that are getting dropped on your lap, one after

[Angelique Robledo]

another, one after another.

[Annie Elise]

Okay, so then what was the last gift? Gift?

[Angelique Robledo]

So there was actually like two last gifts. So there was this. There was. I remember turning around. So after I got the last one, I turned around and I like. I kind of like, turned this way, like, where my body was on the side. And I was like. Like, I could see her. And I was like, thank you so much. Like, these are all so cute. Like, I really appreciate it. And she goes, wait, wait, wait. I also have something else for you. And I was like, okay. So she reaches into the bag and she pulls out like a baby. Like a Wear. Like a baby wearing.

[Annie Elise]

Oh, like a Baby Bjorn, type. Like carrier.

[Angelique Robledo]

Yeah, a baby carrier. Okay, so when I say baby carrier, everybody thinks I'm talking about like a baby.

[Annie Elise]

Like a car seat. Yeah, the one you wear on your body. Like a front backpack.

[Angelique Robledo]

Exactly. And if you were back in 2011, we didn't have what everybody else has. There's so many cute brands. It was just, like, generic, you know, it was a. It was one from Baby. From Bye Bye Babies R Us.

[Annie Elise]

Like, okay.

[Angelique Robledo]

It was a generic black one that probably cost about, like $80. That made me feel uncomfortable because I had felt. I knew how much that was because we went to Baby DS together and

[Annie Elise]

you had made the registries together.

[Angelique Robledo]

Yeah. So I knew how much that was.

[Annie Elise]

And was that wrapped or.

[Angelique Robledo]

No, that was not wrapped. That was just in the bag.

[Annie Elise]

So she holds it up. She says, I have something else for you while you're halfway turned.

[Angelique Robledo]

Yes.

[Annie Elise]

Okay.

[Angelique Robledo]

And I felt uncomfortable because I knew how much that was. I knew that she didn't work. I knew, like, kind of like her light. Like, how did you get this. And I told her, I can't accept this. And she was like, why? And I was like, because I know this cost a lot of money. Money. And I, I, I didn't tell her this, but, like, we're not on that type of friendship where I feel like you should be giving me, like, all, like, yeah, what you gave me was enough. Thank you.

[Annie Elise]

Yeah.

[Angelique Robledo]

And I, I felt bad about it, but she told me no. She's like, I already had my baby shower. This is actually a duplicate. I got two of them. And then I was like, oh, okay. Okay. Well, since she said that, I'll take it.

[Annie Elise]

Yeah.

[Angelique Robledo]

So I ended up being like, I was grateful. Like, at that point. At that point, I was like, oh, cool. Thank you. And I did, I did forget something. Something. At one point, she did ask me if there was something I didn't get. When we were sitting on the couch, she asked me if there was something I didn't get for my baby shower that I wanted. And I said, you know what? This is gonna sound so stupid, but you know those, like, infomercials, like, where they show, like, the little pet, hello, pet, and it shines on the ceiling and it shows, like, the lights and plays like a lullaby? And she was like, yeah. I said, I really wanted one of those, and I didn't get one. Like, I was like, that's probably the only thing that, like, I didn't get that, like, I really, really honestly wanted. So she used that because the very last gift, she goes, I have one last present for you. And I was like, okay. She goes, but I have to show you in the dark. And I was like, oh, why? She goes, it's a special surprise. And she goes, it's something you really wanted. I go, no, you didn't. She goes, yes, I did. She goes, I saw it. Like, she was basically stating, like, it was on my baby registry. Like, she was like, I. But I. But I had it specially made for Ryland. And I was like, oh. Oh. She was like, yeah. So I ha. I wanna show you, though, because you can only see it in the dark. And at this point, it was probably hitting about, like, six o', clock, so the sun was coming down, it was getting dark in the house, and so I was like, okay. So we end up going back to my room.

[Annie Elise]

So you get up off the chair. You guys are walking through the kitchen back to your bedroom.

[Angelique Robledo]

Yes.

[Annie Elise]

Who's in front?

[Angelique Robledo]

She's in front of me.

[Annie Elise]

Okay, so you're following behind.

[Angelique Robledo]

Yes, I'm following behind her. We go into the room. And she tells me the kind of the same thing. Not to sit down and turn around and close my eyes, but to turn around and close my eyes. Eyes. So she. The way. The way I can visually tell you guys is like when you walk into my room picture, walking in the left hand side is a closet. Here's just like a walk in closet.

[Annie Elise]

Or like double door closet.

[Angelique Robledo]

Double door closet. Okay, well, like the sliding. Yeah, yeah. And then so like you're walking this way. Like, there's just like a wall right here. And then my bed's right here. Okay, so. And then like behind my bed is just like another area you can walk. Like. Like walking space. Like this.

[Annie Elise]

Yeah.

[Angelique Robledo]

And then right here would be my. My dresser. So it's a really small room. Okay, so I'm standing like this where?

[Annie Elise]

In between the bed and the closet?

[Angelique Robledo]

Yes. And facing the wall.

[Annie Elise]

Facing the wall or the closet?

[Angelique Robledo]

The wall.

[Annie Elise]

The wall.

[Angelique Robledo]

And then the closet. The closet would be on my left hand side or bed on my right hand side.

[Annie Elise]

Okay, so you're facing the wall straight ahead, and that pathway is just a small little walking path kind of area. That's correct. Okay.

[Angelique Robledo]

So then she's behind me on the ground, digging into this bag, and I'm standing there, and all of a sudden I start to have, like a conversation with myself in my head.

[Annie Elise]

And you're feeling like something's wrong.

[Angelique Robledo]

It was wild. It was. What would you do if she were to try to stab you? How would you protect yourself? Would you fight her? Would you be able to fight her? Why am I having these feelings? Why am I talking like, why am I talking to myself right now? And then I was just like, whoa, like, what's going on? Like, so my brain was.

[Annie Elise]

Your intuition was trying to tell you.

[Angelique Robledo]

It was trying to tell me. And I was just sitting there and I was like, but why would she try to hurt me? I've been nothing but. No, people don't do this. Like. And I'm literally having just a conversation with myself, and all of a sudden I start to get the chills and I'm like, Cassandra, are you. Are you almost, like, done? And she was like, yeah. And I sit there and all of a sudden the voice comes back in my head. You're about to get stabbed. You're about to get stabbed. And I'm just like. So I literally take my phone out of my pocket and I put my. I kind of have my phone like this, and I go, cassandra, my back's hurting. I said, I'm going to sit on my bed. So remember, the bed's on the right hand side. The closet's on the left hand side. I maneuver my body to sit onto

[Annie Elise]

the bed to where now you're facing the closet.

[Angelique Robledo]

And I can see her.

[Annie Elise]

Okay.

[Angelique Robledo]

To a sense on your left. It's in the dark, but I can still see, like, her shadows.

[Annie Elise]

Okay.

[Angelique Robledo]

And so I'm like, my back hurts really bad. I'm gonna sit on this bed. So I sit on the bed where I can see her, and I'm feeling a little bit better because I can see her. But then all of a sudden, she goes, okay, I'm gonna get behind you. And I'm like, why? She goes, I'm gonna put the light over your head and it's gonna shine onto your closet and you'll see the name. And I was like, okay. So she does it. She gets behind me on the. And bed. Bed. And now all of a sudden it's

[Annie Elise]

like, is she on the bed or just right behind in that standing area?

[Angelique Robledo]

She's on the bed.

[Annie Elise]

Okay, behind you.

[Angelique Robledo]

Behind me. So I'm. I'm sitting on the edge of my bed. And now she's physically gotten on behind my bed.

[Annie Elise]

On the mattress.

[Angelique Robledo]

On the mattress. And she's physically behind me. I could feel her like, like, I could feel her, like behind me. And all of a sudden I get like these feelings of like, you're in danger. You're in danger. You're about to be stabbed. You're about to be stabbed. And I'm just kind of like, like, like just looking around my room. And then I grabbed my phone, I put my mom's phone number in it, and I hold it to my chest. And the thought in my head was so eerie. And I kept telling myself, if something bad happens to me, my mom could hear a voicemail of me screaming or can figure out, like, I had went so into depth of dying that, like. But I couldn't. And I couldn't really understand, like, what was happening at that time. Like, it was the way I'm telling it to you guys. It feels like we were probably sitting there for like minutes. This was like happening in like 45 seconds. Like this all happened in very, very fast pace. So finally I go, cassandra, are you going to show me? And she goes, yes. And she puts one hand on my shoulder, on my left hand shoulder, and she leans me forward so much that my stomach is huge that I can't breathe. And she goes, one, two.

[Annie Elise]

All right, so we are going to pause the story right here. Which I know that is a major cliffhanger, I guess, get it. But trust me, you are going to want to hear what happens next. And don't worry, Part two for the audio version is already available right now wherever you're listening to this podcast. So you can just jump straight into it. You can listen to part two. We just wanted to break it up because it is such a long episode, but if you prefer to watch the full video interview, the entire conversation is available right now on YouTube. It isn't split into two parts either. It's just one really long episode. So go check that out on the video version if you want that. And we are going to pick right back up where we left off in part two.