A decade after admitting they were in love, Monica Mares and her biological son Caleb Peterson are now reportedly living with the fallout of the incest scandal that turned their lives upside down.
Monica Mares was only 16 when she gave birth to Caleb Peterson in New Mexico, naming him Carlos before losing custody of him just two years later.
After he was removed from her care, Mares revealed she had no idea where her son was or if she would ever see him again.
Almost 20 years later, in 2015, a Facebook message suddenly brought them back into each other’s lives.
‘Mother hug’
By then, Peterson was 19 years old and described by relatives as quiet, protective, and sensitive, while the mother of nine, then 36, was struggling emotionally after years of abusive relationships and financial instability.
“It was almost love at first sight but first it was mother love. He gave me a mother hug,” she told the Daily Mail in 2016 of their reunion.
“He came home in the truck and came to live with me, and we were both happy as mother and son.”
Their reconnection quickly intensified.
‘I’m falling in love with you’
Late-night conversations turned into regular meetings, and before long, Mares admitted the relationship no longer felt maternal.
In a previous interview with the Daily Mail, Mares recalled finally confessing feelings she said had become impossible to ignore.
“I’m sorry I don’t know how you are going to react to this. I’m your mom and you’re my son, but I’m falling in love with you,” Mares recalled telling Peterson.
According to Mares, Peterson also confessed his feelings, telling her: “You know what I am too. I was scared to let you know.”
“We talked about it and we took off to the park. I said, ‘Would you ever date your mom?’ And he said: ‘would you ever date your son?’ And I said, ‘Honest truth yes I would.’”
‘It was crazy’
The relationship soon became physical, something relatives later said left the family horrified.
Mares’ mother, Sadie Baker, said she repeatedly warned her daughter the situation would destroy both of their lives.
“I told her it was crazy. I told her don’t do this. But they went ahead,” Baker said in a May 2026 interview with the Daily Mail.
Baker said she eventually refused to even allow Peterson into her home because she could not accept the relationship.
“I told him it was not right,” she said.
For more than a year, Mares and Peterson reportedly kept the relationship hidden from much of the public until suspicions from neighbors eventually led to a police investigation.
Charged with incest
In 2017, after the relationship came to light, the two were charged with incest, a fourth-degree felony in New Mexico – incest is in fact a criminalized offense in 48 states.
Instead of prison time, the mom and son, who pleaded no contest, received three years’ probation, along with a court order banning them from contacting each other.
“He is the love of my life, and I don’t want to lose him,” Mares insisted at the time. “My kids love him; my whole family does. Nothing can come between us, not courts, or jail, nothing.”
But the two did split the same year, with Mares marrying another man in 2018.
Current struggles
Years later, the lives of both Mares and Peterson reportedly look dramatically different from the people who once defended their relationship in interviews.
Peterson has reportedly spent years moving in and out of legal trouble involving probation violations, traffic offenses, and additional arrests. Reports say he was arrested again in early 2026 on charges connected to trespassing and criminal mischief.
Mares, meanwhile, has reportedly struggled with homelessness, substance abuse, and worsening mental health problems.
A shelter worker, Debbie, who spoke with the Daily Mail described regularly seeing Mares wandering the streets of Clovis in poor condition.
“She is always in the streets with old shoes. She is really psychosis [sic]. She never wants a clean outfit,” Debbie said.
“I wish we can help her. I know her story. It is very sad,” she said, adding, “It is true it happened. It is a tragic story.”
‘She was a beautiful girl’
Mares’ older sister, Debbie Pastor, said the family now spends much of its time worrying about her safety and health.
“She’s doing bad. She’s really high on drugs,” Pastor told the Daily Mail in a recent interview. “I feel bad. I worry about her every day. I pray for her every day.”
Baker also said her daughter has physically changed so much over the years that she barely recognizes her now.
“She cut her hair. She is bald. I don’t know why. She is mad at herself, I guess. She lost lots of weight now. She is now down to less than 100 pounds,” Baker said.
Looking back at older photographs of Mares reportedly left Baker emotional.
“She looked like me… she was a beautiful girl.”
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