After years of painful surgeries and fighting to feel like herself, Alexis Garcia Tule was finally beginning to feel confident in her skin.
The 27-year-old from Dallas, Texas, who was born with a rare condition known as Goldenhar syndrome, had faced a lifetime of physical and emotional battles.
But just when she thought she could finally breathe, a brutal act of violence tore her progress apart.
A Rare Condition and a Lifetime of Surgeries
Goldenhar syndrome, which affects the development of the face, meant Alexis had been in and out of operating rooms most of her life.
Her journey included intensive facial reconstruction and jaw surgeries, even requiring metal implants to replace missing bone.
Despite it all, she stayed resilient. Her final surgery gave her a renewed sense of self-worth.
She got a job, moved into her own apartment, learned how to drive, and felt ready to take on the world.
A New Relationship That Turned Into a Nightmare
At her new workplace, Alexis met Cesar Angel Dominguez.
He seemed kind at first, someone who didn’t judge her for her appearance or the scars from her medical past.
As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, their relationship deepened and he moved into her apartment in 2023.
Initially, things felt safe. “He was really sweet,” Alexis recalled.
“He accepted me for who I was.” But behind that calm exterior, a darker side began to surface.
Abuse Behind Closed Doors
It didn’t take long before Dominguez’s behavior changed—especially when he was drinking.
He became physically abusive, often claiming not to remember what he did the night before.
The violence escalated quickly, from threats and biting to him allegedly trying to gouge out her eyes.
At one point, he even carried mace and threatened strangers with it.
Alexis, terrified and trapped, did her best to deescalate each situation, all while hiding the abuse from her family because of the threats he made.
The Attack That Changed Everything
Eventually, Alexis tried to leave—but it wasn’t easy.
Dominguez threatened to shatter her face again and again.
One night, after a night of drinking, he made good on his threats.
He sprayed her with bear mace, put her in a headlock, and beat her with brass knuckles for a full hour. She passed out from the pain.
When she came to, her face was burning and bloodied—she thought it was all a nightmare until the searing pain made it clear it wasn’t.
A Devastated Family and an Unrecognizable Face
Her mother, Leticia, arrived to a scene that was nothing short of traumatic. “There was blood everywhere,” she said.
Alexis’s brother, Alexander, was frozen in shock. He didn’t recognize his sister by her face—only by her clothes.
Police officers were similarly stunned when they arrived.
One of them exclaimed, “Oh my God,” as they saw her disfigured face.
Alexis was terrified to even open the door, unsure if it was law enforcement or Dominguez returning.
Years of Healing Erased in One Hour
The injuries were extensive. Alexis’s jaw, nose, eye sockets, teeth, and even her spine were broken.
She lost clear vision in her left eye after the retina was damaged.
“Everything that had been reconstructed throughout my life—he broke it all,” she said.
After the attack, Alexis spent weeks in the hospital undergoing emergency surgeries and facing the harsh reality that her independence was gone.
She could no longer see clearly, drive, or work. Her mother had to quit her job to become her full-time caretaker.
Justice Served—But Not Enough
Dominguez was arrested and eventually sentenced to 25 years in prison.
While Alexis was still in the hospital during his sentencing, the prosecutor personally visited her to share the outcome.
Though grateful for the conviction, Alexis feels the punishment doesn’t fully reflect the trauma she endured.
“Twenty-five years doesn’t feel like enough,” she said. “But at least there’s some justice.”
Turning Pain Into Purpose
Despite the horror she experienced, Alexis hopes her story can help others recognize the signs of abuse and find the courage to escape. She wants others to know they’re not alone.
“It’s been really hard to accept everything that’s happened,” she admitted.
“But if telling my story helps someone else get out before it’s too late, then maybe some good can come from this.”
Help and Healing Still Ahead
Alexis and her family are now trying to raise $50,000 to cover the ongoing medical expenses—surgeries, medication, and vision support.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched in hopes of easing the financial burden.
Her story is not just about pain—it’s about endurance.
It’s about a young woman who had everything taken from her but is still standing, still fighting, and still hoping for a better tomorrow.