Domestic Violence Epidemic of Fatalities

Last year I had the opportunity to attend the National College of District Attorneys' conference on Domestic Violence in Orlando. I met Casey Gwinn, the former San Diego City Attorney who founded the internationally recognized San Diego Family Justice Center which is credited with reducing domestic violence homicides in San Diego by over 60%. He currently serves as the President of the National Family Justice Center Alliance which is developing specialized, multi-agency Centers to stop domestic violence across the United States.

Please see his blog here: http://tinyurl.com/cdynjb. It is a vivid reminder of why our community needs to adequately fund domestic violence related initiatives. Orange & Seminole County 2009 fatalities are listed below.

For more information about the Family Justice Center Initiative, go to http://www.familyjusticecenter.org/


2009 Orange County DV/Child Abuse Fatalities
TOTAL = 12 (including 4 suicides)

• 1/16/09: Jerry A Cisco (stabbed by his girlfriend)
• 1/28/09: Loyta Sloley (shot by her boyfriend who committed suicide)
• 2/28/09: Rahmesha Oliver (shot by her ex-boyfriend)
• 3/1/09: Lolitta Flores (strangled by her boyfriend)
• 3/27/09: Brianna Morges-Gress, age 4 months (starved by her mother)
• 4/2/09: Felix Davila (shot)
• 4/6/09: Maria Estela Lopez-Soto (stabbed by her estranged husband)
• 4/21/09: Derrick Curry - suicide (his victim survived a stabbing)
• 5/10/09: Celeo Rosales (shot by her ex-boyfriend who committed suicide)
• 6/12/09: Keshen Parboo - suicide (his wife survived a shooting)

2009 Seminole County DV/Child Abuse Fatalities
TOTAL = 9 (including 4 suicides)

• 1/27/09: Anthony Jesy Cabral, age 2 (blunt force trauma by his mother's boyfriend)
• 4/5/09: Mitchell Moore (shot by his mother who committed suicide)
• 6/15/09: Dillon Wood, age 10; Aubrey Wood, age 12; Cynthia Wood (shot by their father/husband who committed suicide)
• 6/27/09: Kenneth Keefer - suicide (may have been killed by law enforcement after a standoff at his home
• 7/4/09: Gary Adams - suicide (his estranged wife survived a shooting)