At the age of 15, Cristel and her sister viciously attacked a rival classmate, Guadalupe ("Lupita"), with a razor blade. After the fight, Guadalupe had to have 100 stitches, mostly on her face and neck. There was a debate as to whether Cristel and her sister should be sentenced as adults; if they had been, Cristel would have received a sentence of 10 to 20 years. Instead, she was sentenced to six and a half years at the Rhode Island Training School for Youth. Cristel was pregnant when she was first locked up. Angry and uncontrollable, she had to be handcuffed inside her cell. Then things started to change. She got her GED, began taking college classes, and started lecturing to youth groups. She has done so well that Judge Jeremiah has decided to release her three years early.

Almost four years after the attack, Guadalupe's scars have begun to heal. She has dealt with the trauma by immersing herself in school - track, volleyball, community service, and yearbook. She was recently awarded a scholarship and will be the first member of her family to go to college.