In a San Antonio courtroom, survivor Erica Torres looked her abuser in the eyes and forgave him.

Torres, who was shot by her former partner Billy Delgado, delivered a searing victim impact statement this week as Delgado was sentenced to 50 years in prison. Her words, filled with heartbreak and resolve, were not only a reckoning—they were a declaration of survival.

“After that day you shot me, my life changed forever,” Torres said. “I faced unimaginable pain, fear, and overwhelming questions of whether I would survive and see our daughters again. Yet by the grace of God, I’m still here.”

Torres described the trauma that continues to affect her and her children, saying Delgado’s actions left scars that run deeper than physical wounds. “You hurt them, you hurt my family—and your family—the people who trusted you,” she said. “And yet, despite everything, I forgive you, Billy.”

Torres made clear her forgiveness was not absolution. “That forgiveness does not mean I forgot. It does not excuse what you did… It means I choose peace over hate.”

Her statement was followed by a powerful testimony from her mother, Inez Terrazas, who also addressed the court. Fighting back tears, Terrazas recalled the moment she learned her daughter had been shot and how she watched her “fight through pain no one should ever have to endure.”

“You didn’t just hurt their mother, you hurt them,” Terrazas said of her grandchildren. “The emotional wounds are deeper, and the trauma, the fear, and the loss have been a sense of safety, and the road of healing still continues.”

Both women spoke of faith, resilience, and the decision to reclaim their power—not through vengeance, but by refusing to let Delgado’s violence define their future.

“You didn’t just break the law, you broke hearts, you shattered trust.,” Terrazas said. “The pain you caused is deep, and the betrayal is devastating, and yet we still choose not to live in hate.”

Delgado showed little visible emotion during the hearing. He received the maximum sentence allowed.

The courtroom was silent as Torres concluded her statement. “You took so much, but you did not take my will to live, my faith, or my dignity,” she said. “I hope you one day truly understand the gravity of your actions… but that is between you and God.”