Police say a second suspect fled in the father’s vehicle after the attack outside a YMCA.
SAN ANTONIO, TX — A San Antonio mother has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after investigators said she helped orchestrate a stabbing during a child custody exchange outside a YMCA on the city’s East Side, according to an arrest affidavit.
The case has drawn attention because the violence unfolded during a routine handoff involving a child, in a public place and early in the evening. Police said one suspect was taken into custody while another fled, leaving detectives to sort out what happened, who planned what, and whether additional charges will follow as the injured father recovers.
The stabbing happened about 6:30 p.m. Thu., Feb. 19, outside the Davis-Scott Family YMCA at 1213 Iowa St., as a father arrived to pick up his child, police said. Investigators described a confrontation that escalated quickly into a fight involving the child’s mother and at least one other person. The father was stabbed in the lower part of his body and taken to a hospital for treatment. Police initially described his condition as critical, and later reports said his condition was not immediately available as investigators continued interviews and gathered evidence.
In the days after the attack, the investigation focused on two people: a 31-year-old woman identified by investigators as Melanie Sierra Gomez and a 26-year-old man identified as Abel Ali Rivas, according to court records and police accounts. Officers who responded that evening were told the father, identified in court documents as Oscar Javier Barbosa, became involved in a physical struggle during the custody exchange. Witnesses told police the man joined the fight and stabbed Barbosa before fleeing the scene, according to investigators’ summaries of the incident.
Police said the man who fled drove away in the father’s vehicle before officers arrived. Investigators later treated the vehicle as part of the case because it left the scene with the suspect and could contain evidence of the attack, including possible traces of blood or other forensic material. The suspect’s use of the victim’s vehicle also broadened the case beyond an assault investigation, because detectives had to track a missing car while searching for a stabbing suspect who remained at large.
Gomez, the children’s mother, was taken into custody and later charged, according to the arrest affidavit. Investigators allege she played a key role in the assault, describing her actions and statements during the confrontation as evidence that the stabbing was not a spontaneous outburst but a coordinated attack. The affidavit, which lays out the basis for the charge, describes Gomez as encouraging the violence and assisting in the sequence of events that led to the stabbing, according to summaries of the filing released in local reports.
The charge filed against Gomez is aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a felony that prosecutors use when they believe an assault involved a weapon capable of causing serious injury. Under Texas law, aggravated assault includes an assault in which a person “uses or exhibits a deadly weapon during the commission of the assault,” language commonly cited in charging documents when a knife is alleged to have been used. A second-degree felony conviction in Texas can carry a prison sentence measured in years, and the case could move quickly to hearings focused on bond and restrictions on contact with the child and the father.
Investigators have not publicly detailed how the custody exchange was arranged that day, whether there were prior disputes, or what communications occurred immediately before the father arrived. Those details are often central in cases tied to family court conflict, because they can help prosecutors and defense attorneys argue whether a confrontation was planned, provoked, or unavoidable. Police accounts so far have also not said whether the exchange was scheduled through a court order, a written agreement between parents, or an informal arrangement, and they have not released the child’s age.
Police have also not released the name of the specific YMCA employee or staff member who may have witnessed the altercation, nor have they said whether surveillance video captured the confrontation outside the building. Public locations like a YMCA often have cameras covering entrances and parking areas, and investigators typically seek footage to establish a clear timeline, identify who first used force, and confirm the direction and movement of suspects as they fled.
The father’s injuries were described by officers as wounds to the lower part of his body, and police have not described the weapon beyond treating the incident as a stabbing. They also have not said whether Barbosa required surgery, how long he was hospitalized, or whether he was able to provide a statement to detectives soon after the attack. In many violent assault cases, investigators wait for physicians to determine whether injuries meet the legal threshold for “serious bodily injury,” a factor that can affect charging decisions and sentencing exposure.
Authorities said Rivas remained the focus of a search after leaving the scene. Police accounts described him as fleeing in the victim’s vehicle, a detail that helped investigators narrow the initial search area and seek tips. Detectives typically use a mix of methods in such cases, including tracing license-plate reader hits, reviewing nearby video, and interviewing people who know the suspects. Police have not said whether the vehicle has been recovered or whether Rivas has retained an attorney.
The custody exchange setting also raises procedural questions that can show up later in court filings, including where the exchange occurred, why a public location was chosen, and whether either parent had sought safer arrangements after prior disputes. Family courts sometimes order exchanges at public places or supervised sites when conflict is high, and police sometimes advise parents to use “safe exchange” locations, but officials have not said whether such steps were part of this family’s history or whether any prior incidents had been reported to authorities.
As the case moves forward, Gomez’s charge could lead to additional court dates in criminal court while any custody proceedings continue separately in family court. Criminal judges can issue bond conditions that restrict contact with alleged victims and sometimes limit contact involving children if the alleged violence happened during an exchange. Prosecutors may also seek protective orders as part of the criminal case, depending on the facts alleged in court filings and the wishes of the victim.
Investigators have not announced an arrest on the second suspect, and they have not publicly said whether prosecutors plan to seek upgraded charges or additional counts tied to the vehicle, the alleged planning, or any injuries later classified as severe. Police also have not said whether any third person was involved, whether someone attempted to break up the fight, or whether any bystanders called 911 from the scene. The YMCA location sits in a neighborhood with regular evening activity, and the reported time of the incident suggests there may have been witnesses arriving for after-work programs.
The case remains in an early stage, with key facts still controlled by investigative records, medical updates, and any future court hearings. Authorities are expected to continue seeking information about the fleeing suspect and any evidence that clarifies whether the stabbing was planned before the exchange or developed from a sudden argument once the father arrived.
Author note: Last updated February 26, 2026.