GRANBURY, Texas — Christy Galindo, a detention officer at the Lake Granbury Youth Services facility, recounted the harrowing events of Sunday night from her hospital bed in Fort Worth when she was brutally attacked by three teenagers who attempted and managed to escape the juvenile lockup.
Despite the ordeal, Galindo remains resilient and has extended an extraordinary message of forgiveness to the teens who put her in the ICU.
Galindo, who sustained a fracture to her lower eye, bruises, staples in the back of her head, and stitches around her eye, described the violent confrontation.
“I don’t remember everything,” she said. “But I know that I was hit in the head with my radio. I know there were some blows to my head and trauma to my head, and I was completely out of it after that point.”
The three teens, one of whom was in custody for murder, fled through the recreational yard, according to Galindo. They stole a car and guns, committing an armed robbery at a Dublin gas station before being apprehended a day later at an apartment complex in Hutchins following a visual by police of a second stolen car the teens took.
Galindo expressed gratitude toward the medical teams who helped her. “I do thank everyone, the trauma team, the response team,” she said.
She was airlifted to a hospital in Fort Worth, where she remained in intensive care until the interview.
In a remarkable display of compassion, Galindo had this message for the teens responsible for her injuries: “What happened to me, it did hurt, but they’ve made a mistake. I forgive you all, and I am praying for you all. I hope that God fulfills the love in the areas that they lack and that they get the love that they need and succeed in the areas they need to moving forward.”
Galindo, a mother of two teenagers herself, has the steadfast support of her family. Her father, David Galindo, a published author, praised her bravery, saying, “My hat goes off to her for being brave.”
“Unfortunately, this is part of the job,” Galindo said.
Friends and family are now raising money to cover Galindo’s hospital bills.
“They have me in my room. It’s a nice room, by the way,” Galindo said, her sense of humor intact despite her condition. She hopes to leave the hospital by Christmas.
When reflecting on the suspects, Galindo said, “At the end of the day, they are still good kids.” Her empathy, shining through a horrific moment in her life, underscored the possibility of redemption.