7 On Your Side tackles a marriage mix-up

Seven On Your Side
NEW YORK

She needed to prove it wasn't her in 1979 and again in 1985 who married and never got divorced from two different men.

Talk about taking your sweet time.

Three kids and 32 years after meeting, Azalia Aquino and Miguel Rosario were finally getting to the altar, or so they thought .

"She says, 'You're married', and I say, 'No I'm not,'" Aquino said.

The roadblock to wedded bliss was a bombshell, a marriage bureau clerk presented Azalia's record showing she was already a bride, and a busy one, currently married to not one but two different men.

It's there on paper, two trips down the aisle.

The first was in 1979 to a man from Greece, then six years later to another guy from the Dominican Republic.

Aquino thinks that someone pretended to be her to give the men citizenship.

"They must have gotten paid for it obviously," Aquino said.

To get hitched, they'd have to prove it wasn't her, so they called 7 On Your Side for help.

"We would love to find out who it is," Rosario said.

"Definitely, It's going to be impossible," Aquino said.

Well, never say never.

Eyewitness News searched for both grooms and found one of the two.

Eyewitness News showed him Azalia's picture. He did not recognize Azalia as the American citizen he married then divorced a year later. "Do you have any divorce papers?" Eyewitness News asked him.

"I think I gave them when I brought my wife from Greece," the man said.

Eyewitness News had a negative ID and a divorce.

So, it was on to a court hearing where the couple hoped 7 On Your Side's findings would clear the way to a wedding. "If you weren't there this wouldn't have gone the route we wanted it to. Your testimony was awesome," Aquino said.

Then, it was in the Judge's hands, and just as winter turned to spring. "If anyone presents know of any legal reason why the two of you should not be joined in wedlock, speak now or forever hold your peace," the judge said.

Nothing stood in the way, now Eyewitness News 7 On Your Side's Nina Pineda had the honor of holding their rings as a witness.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife you may kiss the bride," the judge said.

35 years in the making, this first real marriage was worth the wait.

CONNECT WITH NINA PINEDA AND 7 ON YOUR SIDE

Blog: wabc.typepad.com/sevenonyourside/
Facebook: facebook.com/wabc.7onyourside
Twitter: twitter.com/wabc7onyourside

Copyright © 2024 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.