Maribel had a court date on August 3rd. The Fresno police department's felony assault charges against Maribel were dropped. Press releases and Audio According to the Free Maribel website, the Cuevas family looks forward to recuperating for the rest of the summer before school starts up again. Maribel's family and their attorneys are very grateful for the international and national support that everyone has provided.

Maribel Cuevas, a small 11-year old girl in Fresno who speaks more Spanish than English, was attacked by neighborhood boys who threw water balloons at her in late April. She grew frustrated and threw a rock at the boys. One of the boys, 9 year-old Elijah Vang, needed stitches as a result of being hit by the rock. A neighbor called 911, but before 3 police cars and a helicopter had arrived, Maribel had already apologized to the boy's family. The Fresno police (who only spoke English) arrested Maribel and took her away in handcuffs. She was incarcerated in juvenile hall for five days, and was made to wear an ankle monitoring bracelet for a month. Elijah Vang and his family have reportedly moved out of the neighborhood. Maribel is being charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon. Her lawyer has accused the police of criminalizing childhood behavior. Women's rights activists are encouraging people to write to the District Attorney, Elizabeth A. Egan, and ask her to drop the charges against Maribel. Contact info for local officials
Maribel's first court date in her trial will be August 3rd at 8:30am. A vigil for Maribel was held in Fresno on Friday, July 29th at 8:00pm in front of Fresno County Juvenile Hall. Photos | Photos and Video

Free Maribel Website