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These are the words 27-year-old Dana Alotaibi, of Virginia, said through tears in a recorded call with the National Suicide Awareness Hotline posted to YouTube last January.
Seven months later, Falls Church's Alotaibi was stabbed dead by the very man she had been fearful of, Bryant Tejeda-Castillo, on the H-3 freeway in Hawaii, according to those who knew her and police. Tejeda-Castillo was charged with second-degree murder and being held on $1 million bond.
Alotaibi's mom, Natalia Cespedes, believes that her daughter would still believe alive today had action been taken, Hawaii News Now reports.
"Through out[sic] my marriage Bryant has been physically abusive countless of times, hes hit me, beat me, choked me, knocked me out conscious, slammed me on the floor kicking my spine having me to seek medical help," Alotaibi writes on the YouTube video. "I didn't file a report for every incident but the times i did 14times, Military police informed his command and Bryants only punishment was to get sent to the barracks for a period of time."
In a statement released to Hawaii News Now, the Marines said:
We can confirm that the Marine suspect’s command was engaged with both him and the victim, and were responsive to those allegations and concerns that the command was made aware of. Due to the ongoing nature of the criminal investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further on this topic.
Earlier this year, Alotaibi found her Marine husband's Tinder account while he was on deployment in Japan, she explains on YouTube.
Devastated, Alotaibi told her husband she wanted to fly back to Virginia to be with her family. Even though he refused, she used his money to buy the ticket — sometime after that, he threatened to have her killed, she says in the video.
Alotaibi reiterated Tejada-Castillo's command never attempted to intervene, prevent, or punish his behavior, even after Alotaibi repeatedly reported the severity of his abuse. Alotaibi became suicidal and helpless after the Marines apparently neglected to prioritize her situation of domestic violence.
"Im haunted at the fact that, Bryant got away with everything," Alotaibi writes in the YouTube caption. "His command covers for him and now with the latest threat to have me killed being brushed under the rug. it's ridicious[sic] , Bryant still holds his job position. Are Marines allowed to threaten to kill their wives?"
The couple had apparently been arguing in the moments leading up to Alotaibi's death on Wednesday, July 20, Honolulu police reported.
Witnesses found Tejada-Castillo standing over his wife on the westbound side of H-3 stabbing her repeatedly, Honolulu police said. Witnesses tried to restraint Tejada-Castillo before he fled into nearby brush, where police found him with a knife that he had used to harm himself and stab his wife, they said.
He was ultimately hospitalized, then charged in his wife's murder. Meanwhile, Alotaibi was pronounced dead around 8:30 that night.
In the months before her death, Alotaibi hinted at infidelity on both sides of the relationship and aired out marital drama on Facebook. The persona she shared on the social media platform sparked controversy posthumously.
"She instituted her own downfall. Sucks but gotta make better decisions boys and girls," one person commented. Hundreds of people debated over Alotaibi's transparency in her troubled relationship, but most agreed that did not justify her murder.
Days after her slaying, comments also poured into Alotaibi's YouTube video, expressing outrage over the fact that action seemed to have been taken far too late.
"I’m so sorry that the system failed you and every spouse who has to suffer through this," one said. "I’m so sorry that this happened in a way that could’ve been prevented if they had held him accountable."
"This is so disgusting," another said. "How much does a person need to cry for help too get it."
More than $9,300 had been raised on a GoFundMe started by Cespedes to help cover the cost of flying her daughter's body to Virginia.
When Alotaibi failed to get the help she needed from the Marines, she turned to those behind their screens.
"I feel scared and hopeless, if you have any [sic] advise or guidance on how to [de]escalate this situation, please help."
Click here to donate to Cespedes' GoFundMe page in memory of her daughter.
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