BLOG # 54
CO DEFENDANT AND EX WIFE ILIANA FLORES
AUGUST 28, 2026
Now, 43 years after our beautiful wedding, I find myself asking: Was it love? When I asked for Iliana’s hand in marriage, I acted under the feelings and passion of what I interpreted as love back then. However, my current definition and feeling of love has experienced a metamorphic process since our wedding day on September 24, 1983. With the years and my human experiences, my understanding of God as love and my capacity to love have increased tenfold. Therefore, in comparison, I ask now: Was it real love what we experienced? It could be said that it was a marriage of convenience for both of us. Iliana wanted to get away from her stepfather and from her poor living conditions, to experience better living conditions in my house. I wanted a good stepmother for my son and a good wife to share love and sex (Not the same). On Iliana’s part there were two misrepresentation of actual facts that I decided to overlook.
I fell in love with an alleged 22 years old very sophisticated woman from Honduras, not with a 16 years old girl, who came into my human experience through my five years old son Noel Fuster, in the Spring of 1983, at a Flea Market in Miami, where Iliana was working selling plants. While I was busy selecting plants, Iliana obtained my home telephone number from my son, who had fallen for her beautiful face before I was also enchanted. I granted Iliana’s request to call Noel. Iliana called us daily, each time talking with Noel for two minutes and talking with me for two hours. She misrepresented the facts concerning her age and about being a virgin. She had much sexual sophistication and she was 16 years old, but had picture I.D. cards as a 22 years old woman. She acted the role very well. In any case, in my opinion, a 16 years old human being is not a child. Iliana’s mother and family members knew that Iliana was manipulating me and provided her with their collaboration.
Iliana lived in a very poor N.W. neighborhood. She was very impressed with my three car garage house in Country Walk, where I lived as a single parent with my son, however, all her lies took place through our telephone conversations before she visited my house for the first time. We had our first reunion about one week after we met, when Iliana requested to spend time with Noel. We met in Downtown Miami. That day we spend time with Noel in the swimming pool of the Country Walk Clubhouse. That day i met Iliana’s family. A week later, when Iliana asked me if I would like to dance with her, we had our first real date and our first kiss. I had to borrow my neighbor’s car, because my car wasn’t functioning. I took her to her house about midnight. From that day forward Iliana became very important to me. Sometimes, Iliana helped me in my Showroom, because my secretary had quit.
The original wedding date was changed twice. The first date was set for December of 1984. Iliana and her mother had me change that day to February 14, 1984, because it was more romantic than Christmas time. Subsequently, they convinced me to advance the wedding to September 24, 1983, because Iliana and her sister Lorena were experiencing problems with their stepfather. We had a big wedding and Iliana’s biological father came from Honduras to give me his daughter. He was 23 years older than Iliana’s mother. I most definitely felt that I was loved and in love, not with a 16 years (and ten months) old girl, but with a highly sophisticated young woman.
Iliana’s mother invited me to eat a great meal in her house one day before I purchased the Marriage License, with the real objective to inform me that she had to accompany me to purchase the Marriage License because Iliana was underage and needed her consent to get marry. She had me believe that Iliana would become 18 years old on November 28, 1983. That was a lie. Iliana was about to have her 17th birthday. She was born on November 28, 1966. I didn’t mmediately perform a calculation. It took me a few months to discover Iliana’s real age through her cousin Maritza Betanco, who lived with us for about five months.
To say that Iliana was a good wife and a very good stepmother to Noel, would be an understatement. In about only four months Iliana had my son reading. She took good care of me and of our house. We rarely argued and making up afterwards was fun. We liked rough playing. Almost daily we visited the Country Walk Clubhouse, but also enjoyed the Metro Zoo, the beach, the theaters, the Flea Market, the television programs, dancing and eating out. We were very happy together.
It was at the Country Walk Clubhouse that Joan Menoher (Phonetic) , Manager, got Iliana involved in the home babysitting service for our neighbors. Iliana and I have always loved children and enjoyed their presence as a gift from God and as an opportunity to earn additional funds. I was out working on my new business during the babysitting time, but we shared time with some of the parents and their children on Sundays. Iliana was very happy with the children because I couldn’t impregnate Iliana.
The person that Iliana became under the torture that she had to endure at the jail, and that testified against me with many false statements to avoid a life sentence for crimes that never even existed, and that caused me unspeakable pain and suffering, is unknown to me. I had instructed Iliana to say whatever Janet Reno wanted to hear to obtain her release and she did just that. I cannot complain now. I do not hold resentment toward my ex wife. Instead, I am grateful for the ten months that we had together. I wish her well. I bless Iliana and her current family with my highest holy thoughts. I think that is love. Right?
FRANCISCO FUSTER-ESCALONA
A.K.A. FRANK FUSTER