A Cody woman who stalked her ex-boyfriend, vandalized his new girlfriend’s truck and made threats against the couple in open court says she regrets her actions.

At a hearing in Park County District Court last week, 22-year-old Alexis Manoguerra explained that she had let her emotions get the best of her.

“It will never happen again,” Manoguerra told the court.

Prosecutors had charged Manoguerra with a felony count of property destruction, as it’s going to cost well over $1,000 to remove the profane insult that she keyed into the side of the other woman’s vehicle. However, Deputy Park County Attorney Marina Tucker agreed to reduce the count to a misdemeanor in exchange for Manoguerra’s “no contest” pleas to that crime and two misdemeanor counts of stalking. Manoguerra’s defense attorney, Sam Krone, indicated his client was pleading no contest rather than guilty because of the potential civil liability she could face.

The plea deal calls for Manoguerra to serve a year of unsupervised probation and, in addition to several hundred dollars of court fees, pay $2,342.12 in restitution to repair the damaged vehicle. She served roughly two weeks in jail while the case was pending.

District Judge Bill Simpson told Manoguerra that, when she’s confronted with negative situations in the future, she should take a step back, take a deep breath and let it pass or walk away.

“It doesn’t do any good to react in anger on the spur of the moment,” Simpson said at the Aug. 11 hearing. “It always ends badly, as it did here, and you know that.”

High emotions in court

Court records say the trouble started early this year, when Manoguerra and her former boyfriend broke up. Their split was followed by conflict between Manoguerra and her ex and her ex’s new girlfriend. According to court records, Mangouerra made threats and etched the word “whore” into the side of the other woman’s vehicle.

Cody police arrested Manoguerra on March 2, and at a court hearing later that day, she openly admitted to vandalizing the vehicle, lobbed profanities and insults at the couple, said she hoped they died and flipped off the jail camera; Circuit Court Judge Joey Darrah muted Manoguerra’s mic at multiple points and threatened to find her in contempt.

Manoguerra later apologized and was released on a $25,000 surety bond, with orders to stay away from her ex and the other woman. However, she was rearrested on May 16, after she reportedly approached the other woman at a Cody gas station and called her names again.

Manoguerra was re-released on another $20,000 surety bond within a few days and signed a deal with prosecutors this month.

‘Done with drama’

At last week’s hearing, Manoguerra said her relationship with her ex “took a negative toll on me emotionally” and that he mistreated her. However, she also said that wasn’t an excuse.

Going forward, “I know not to let people get under my skin like that, and just to let everything go and just be done with drama and everything that has to do with the situation …,” she said.

Judge Simpson said he believed Manoguerra had learned a valuable lesson.

“You have to realize that there are a lot of good people in this world, and there are some bad ones, too, and you can’t let them, as you say, dictate your conduct,” Simpson said.

The judge also told Manoguerra that the opportunity to avoid a felony conviction was “priceless” and that she should be grateful to Tucker for the deal.

“I don’t want you to forget that, OK? Because, you know, in this world, we don’t see a lot of kindness anymore,” Simpson said, adding that “it’s good to know that people are treated on an individualized basis, and not everybody has to be tagged with a felony.”

The arrangement also calls for Manoguerra to enter a no contest plea in circuit court to a misdemeanor count of violating a protection order related to the May incident at the gas station.

Assuming Circuit Court Judge Joey Darrah approves that piece of the deal, Manoguerra will receive a total of 12 months of unsupervised probation, with roughly 350 days of jail time suspended.

While on probation, Manoguerra must obey the law and have no contact with her ex or the other woman, among other conditions.

Ex also arrested

In the meantime, Manoguerra’s ex, 24-year-old Cade Biancalana, was arrested in Cody on Aug. 6 for allegedly battering his girlfriend — the same woman Manoguerra stalked. 

Charging documents allege that, Biancalana pushed the woman out of his stopped vehicle amid an argument, then grabbed and shook her; Biancalana also reportedly ran over the woman’s motorcycle helmet while driving away at a high speed.

Biancalana has been charged with a misdemeanor count of domestic battery. He has pleaded not guilty and is currently free on a $5,000 surety bond while awaiting further proceedings.

As for Manoguerra, she said she plans to move back home to California as soon as possible.