Mother Of Sons Who Attacked An OKC Police Officer Speaks Out

Adrianna Iwasinski, News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Vilma Escalante spent more than 400 days in the Oklahoma County Jail. She was charged with shooting with intent to kill, gun possession, and conspiracy for an ambush on Oklahoma City police officer Katie Lawson.

On Tuesday, a jury found Vilma Escalante not guilty of having any role on the attack on the Oklahoma City police officer. Thursday she sat down with Crime Tracker Adrianna Iwasinski.

"They were very sad days for me, knowing I was innocent," said Vilma Escalante, through the help of her lawyer Cesar Armenta who translated for us.

Officer Lawson sustained injuries to her face, leg and body after being shot with an assault rifle last August after she had helped with a traffic stop on Hector Escalante Senior, Vilma's estranged husband and father to her four children.

Officer Lawson was one of many people who testified at the trial against Vilma Escalante and her two sons. Vilma's son Hector Escalante has pled guilty to pulling the trigger and will be sentenced in November. Her son Alex Mercado was sentenced to 3 years behind bars.

"He is innocent," said Vilma about her son Alex. "He had nothing to do with the shooting."

But a jury saw it a different way. Especially after seeing a police tape of the two brothers talking about the shooting that was admitted into evidence by the prosecution.

Vilma said she wishes that day had never happened and that her son Hector was a good boy, but suffered from depression and angry outbursts.

She says all she wants is for her record to be expunged and to move on with her life with her children. She plans to appeal to the governor to have her son Alex released.

10/4/2011 Related Story: Son Found Guilty Of Attacking OKC Police Officer