The recent arrest of 30-year-old Marisol Flores, accused of killing her newborn over at a homeless encampment near West Vineyard Avenue Oxnard, has sparked public outcry.
However, her cousin, Carlos, is speaking out to provide context to the "monster" portrayed in the media, describing a decade-long descent into fentanyl addiction and untreated psychosis.
**A Decade of Decline
According to Carlos, Marisol was once a "fun and outgoing" girl from El Rio with a "super 90s Chicana" aesthetic. The turning point occurred around 2012.
"I just never really put two and two together that she was out with bad people... she had already mentioned doing harder drugs, which I was like, Whoa, that's kind of crazy. And yeah, that was probably it. But that was back in 2012 already."
By 2021, her family barely recognized her. Years of living undocumented and on the streets led to severe mental detachment.
Carlos describes her as a "mentally disabled person" who eventually lost all grip on reality.
A Broken Support System
Marisol’s mother served as her primary advocate, attempting rehab interventions twice. However, these efforts failed after only weeks.
The tragedy deepened last year when her mother was deported to Mexico, leaving Marisol without her only stable support.
Timeline of the Spiral
Pre-2012: Marisol is a "cool," family-oriented teenager in El Rio.
- 2012: Initial descent into "hard drugs" and homelessness begins.
- 2013: Gives birth to a daughter, Athena. Due to narcotics in the baby's system, Marisol turns her over to her mother and step-father.
- 2013–2023: A cycle of jail, street life, and failed rehab attempts.
- 2025: Marisol's mother is deported; Marisol's psychosis worsens.
- Recent: Arrested at a Vineyard Avenue encampment; held on $500,000 bail.
Carlos remains hopeful for her humanity, believes she should still be incarcerated with the gravity of the charges, and is planning on visiting her one last time.
"Unfortunately, I think the drugs got the best of her... I'm just hopeful that she can at least get some sort of help and she just doesn't die from going through withdrawals."