By Kristina Davis
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Murder-suicides and other slayings involving romantic partners and family members dominated headlines last year, shocking and puzzling the community and experts alike.
Sixteen victims, including seven children, were killed in family murder-suicides last year in San Diego County, compared to five in 2010.
At least 16 others were murdered in other family violence situations, according to data U-T San Diego gathered from law enforcement agencies.
Financial struggles appear to be behind some of the killings.
Jeffrey Bucholtz, co-president of the San Diego Domestic Violence Council, said one of the recurring themes in any uptick in violence has to do with when people feel backed into a corner, which can happen in times of economic stress, family separation and the loss of jobs or stability.
“They usually feel helpless,” Bucholtz said. “The severity of what they are doing indicates they cannot see alternatives. That is a really important thing for us to understand.”
Perhaps the most shocking case involved the Pimienta family, whose bodies were found in the backyard pool and a bathtub of their Paradise Hills home on May 24. San Diego homicide investigators said parents Alfredo and Georgina Pimienta appear to have planned the deaths together. Their daughters, Emily, 9, and Priscilla, 17, were drowned.
Six days later, another family was killed in Chula Vista. Mary Catherine Alvarez and her two children, Angelica, 12, and Hamid, 11, were slain by her estranged boyfriend, who then committed suicide by jumping off a freeway bridge.
The July 18 slayings of veteran San Diego police Detective Donna Williams and her 18-year-old daughter Briana reinforced the fact that no household was immune from violence. Williams’ son Brian, 24, has been charged in the deaths and was determined to be mentally incompetent to stand trial.
Educating the community about warning signs is key in preventing future violence, experts say. Red flags can include a history of prior family violence or threats that increase with specificity.
“We need to get a neighbor or friend noticing precipitating events, or triggers, something that’s causing shame, guilt or despair like the loss of a job or a kid, divorce or bullying,” Bucholtz said. “We’ve got to do a better job in schools and educating our community what those warning signs are.”
Anyone struggling with violence at home is urged to call the region’s free, confidential hotline at (888) 385-4657 or go to sddvc.com for more resources.
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