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MANASSAS, Va. - Agueda Dominguez says her battered face and bruised arms are the result of police brutality. The 38-year-old El Salvadoran immigrant is alleging a Manassas Park Police officer beat her during a routine traffic stop Monday night.
"As he was pulling me against his car he pulled my hair...at the same time I banged my head a couple of times against his car. He threw me on the ground and banged me against the ground," Dominguez said.
Dominquez was stopped in the parking lot of the Apex Mart for having a broken headlight. She did not have her driver's license, but said she
did provide Lt. Rupert Prinz with other documentation, including her social security card and work permit.
Dominquez said she refused to sign the ticket because she doesn't understand English. That is when she says she was sprayed with pepper spray and thrown on the ground.
Her brother describes what he saw as he pulled up to the scene:
"The floor...she hit the floor like an animal...she's not an animal, she's human. It's hard for me when I see he hit my sister on the floor," said Jose Dominguez, victim's brother.
Store manager, Warner Portillo, walked up just after the alleged brutality took place. "As I'm leaving, I see this lady bleeding really really bad and she was actually a little bit unconscious...I saw two police officers carrying her to an ambulance," Portillo added.
Cuts and bruises are visible on Dominguez's arms, leg and face. A cell phone picture shows her as she arrived to the hospital. Dominguez says she wasn't resisting police arrest. She says she just didn't want to sign a document she didn't understand.
"It hurts a lot...you come to the United States to pursue a dream and this type of stuff happens...especially in the Hispanic community. Most people are scared and so I just decided to step up and show everybody that we can stand up and defend ourselves," Dominguez added.
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