Monica Gonzalez Mistakenly Arrested For Prostitution Walking Home From Hospital… Even Though She’s Someone’s Mom
15 July 2008, 11:55 AM. By Daniel Mauser
A woman named Monica Gonzalez was arrested for prostitution while walking home from the hospital at 2:30 in the morning. She had visited her local hospital’s emergency room when her asthma medication seemed to stop working but was intercepted on her walk home and arrested for hooking. However, she insisted this could not possibly the case because she happened to be a mother:
Gonzalez, wearing a long winter coat, was suddenly confronted by Spencer and another cop who jumped out of a marked SUV.
“He [Spencer] said, ‘I saw you going up to the car,’” Gonzalez recalled. “His partner said, ‘Let her go, I’ve never seen her here before,’ but he [Spencer] wouldn’t listen,” she said.
“I told him, ‘I’m somebody’s mother. I’m somebody’s daughter.’ I was hysterical crying.”
According to Gonzalez’s lawyer, the arresting officer, Sean Spencer, has a history of civil rights violations and arresting innocent people. Sounds pretty awful. However, here’s what gets us most about this article:
The NY Daily News’ headline claims, “Nabbed as hooker on way to hosp for my asthma, grandma says,” which paints a misleading picture, given 40-year-old Monica is not exactly the stereotype of a little old grandmother sweetly walking home to bake some cookies. This headline, coupled with Monica’s insinuation that she could not possibly have been hooking because she’s “somebody’s mother” and “somebody’s daughter (we’re going to go out on a limb and say most hookers are someone’s daughter and probably more than a few are baby’s mamas), reinforces the concept that a woman is either a Madonna or a Whore. You’re either a loving mother, devoted to your children and your family, or you’re an unwanted, wayward woman trolling the streets. You cannot be both; you cannot be neither. But women don’t fit into one of two neat categories without overlap.
Oh, and, helpful tip? If you’re walking alone at 2:30 in the morning, regardless of how many children you have or haven’t had, it might be wise to call a cab home.
Nabbed as hooker on way to hosp for my asthma, grandma says [NY Daily News]
(3) 
Post Your Comment
Did you know you can now share a link, image or video?
Click to submit your own notas.
The paper didn’t lie: she’s still a grandma even if she doesn’t “look” it (like how some people don’t “look” Latino) and getting unjustly arrested after asthma issues isn’t the best state of mind to challenge the patriarchy.
Stripper or mother, Madonna or whore…some badges are real dicks:
http://www.ocweekly.com/news/news/illegally-park-ed/26661/
Oh, right, it was HER fault. I suppose that will be the police’s defense in the lawsuit Gonzalez will certainly win. This Guanabee character really makes it hard to not wish the same thing on him, since that’s about the only thing that changes this idiotic attitude. Gonzalez’s lawsuit will help protect other innocent people from zealot cops who arrest first and ask questions later. I’m glad she will help protect me, not so glad about you.
@ marytza: That’s partly why we’re taking the opportunity to do it here.
@ Brian H: I’m not quite sure where you’re seeing an instance of victim blaming in this post. Calling Monica Gonzalez and the NY Daily News out for bolstering the idea of a Madonna / Whore dichotomy isn’t the same as saying she’s at fault for being arrested or taking away from any possible racist or misogynist intent on the part of the arresting officer.