ROCKWALL – Serious family violence crimes are increasing across fast-growing Rockwall County and the time has come to start raising funds to build the County’s own women’s shelter and children’s advocacy center to aid victims.
That’s what Rockwall County Criminal District Attorney Kenda Culpepper told over 40 area citizens, government officials, agency leaders and volunteers at the monthly family violence prevention meeting sponsored by Americans Ending Abuse and the Lillian Smith Family Violence Foundation Jan. 22 at the Gonino Center For Health.
She added that felony assaults have tripled during the past year and, although she did not yet know how many were family violence related, she did know the County has seen four family violence deaths in recent years.
She explained Heath freshman Surie Baeza was killed by her mother’s ex-boyfriend in 2012. Jessica Aguilar, the mother of three children, was gunned down by her ex-boyfriend at The Harbor in 2013. Last year a Royse City man just released from the Navy attempted to kill his wife and then committed suicide. The District Attorney’s office is currently prosecuting a mother who is accused of killing her young daughter.
Culpepper introduced new Rockwall County family violence prosecutor Kerri New, who was hired recently thanks to an $80,000 grant the District Attorney reqested from the North Central Texas Council of Governments and $11,000 from the County budget. She explained that Rockwall Police have designated Detective Laurie Burks to serve as its family violence officer.
A second speaker was Rockwall single mom Brittany Barnhill, who described her recent domestic violence experience, after the man she met through friends and started dating became physically abusive. She said she’d never experienced such abuse before and, after obtaining a protection order, also reported him to police. He was convicted of family violence, sentenced to two years probation and has not contacted her since.
Representatives attended the meeting from the Rockwall Police Department, Heath Public Safety Department, Rockwall County Sheriff’s Office, Women In Need Women’s Shelter, Lone Star CASA, the Boys & Girls Club of Rockwall County and Poiema Foundation, which aids human trafficking victims.
The next meeting – open to the public – will be Thursday, Feb. 26, at 7 pm, at the Gonino Center For Health.
Volunteers are needed by Americans Ending Abuse and the Lillian Smith Foundation to aid family violence victims and help bring abuse crimes to an end across Rockwall County, DFW and Texas. The non-profits are expanding nationwide and founder J.J. Smith said to think of them similar to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) but for family violence crimes.
For info, call 469-351-2209 or email: info@americansendingabuse.org.
By J.J. Smith
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