Wrongly accused father gets son back after 217 days
HOUSTON (FOX 26) - After being apart for 217 days, the first thing 15-year-old Dalton Herrera did when he first saw his father again was toss him a football.
“It’s something that we’ve always done so we were right there back in that moment,” Val Herrera said. “I knew I had my son back.”
In a first on FOX report last month we told you how Val Herrera spent 72 days in jail after being charged with plotting his ex-wife’s murder. But a grand jury didn’t believe his accusers so Herrera was no billed.
Still the alleged lie took his son Dalton away as well as the history teacher’s reputation.
He turned to FOX 26 to tell his side of the story.
“Because of FOX 26, it’s made a difference in my life,” Herrera said.
After our story aired a mediator decided Dalton, who never doubted his father’s innocence should be returned to his dad.
“Because I know how he is and I just know him that he wouldn’t do that,” Dalton Herrera said.
While jail is now nothing more than a bad memory for Val Herrera he says he wonders why none of those who put him there have faced punishment.
“I have referred this matter to the district attorney’s office,” said attorney George Parnham.
Parnham says as many as four people are behind the lie that put Val in jail for 72 days.
“At least one individual intentionally lied in front of the grand jury and that was admitted to by that individual under oath,” Parnham said.
While Dalton says he’s glad to be back with his dad he says he still loves his mother very much.
“Just because this has happened doesn’t change anything I’ll always trust her,” said Dalton Herrera.
An attorney for Michelle Herrera, Val Herrera’s ex-wife and Dalton’s mother sent us this prepared statement.
“My client stands by her actions in going to the authorities after learning she was the target of a murder for hire and is prepared to vigorously defend any civil lawsuit filed by Mr. Herrera.”