DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

A man was shot by Montgomery County sheriff’s deputies in Conroe after a domestic violence dispute Tuesday morning, authorities said.

Are you looking for a way out of an abusive or harmful situation or know someone who is? There is help.

It is a sobering set of statistics -- A 40% increase in domestic violence crime in Harris County since the start of the Pandemic. Domestic violence related homicides for August were up 78% from the same period last year.

The Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General and Associate Attorney General were joined by leadership of the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). At the outset of the meeting, Attorney General Garland reaffirmed that combatting gender-based violence has long been and remains today a priority for the Justice Department. The Attorney General discussed the department’s FY 2022 Budget request, which includes an historic investment of $1 billion to support the work of the OVW. He noted that he was serving as Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General in 1995 when the Justice Department first established a dedicated office to address domestic violence and sexual assault. Among the Deputy Attorney General’s responsibilities was gathering personal stories from individual survivors to illustrate the dire need for stronger legal protections.

A Houston man is wanted in connection with his ex-girlfriend’s murder, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday.

The oldest daughter of a Houston woman who was gunned down over the weekend is now the legal guardian of her four younger siblings.

Five people died in Houston over the weekend in suspected domestic violence crimes. Now, investigators say it’s a pattern that only seems to be getting worse.

A woman fatally shot her boyfriend Sunday during an apparent domestic assault incident in northwest Harris County, deputies said.

KPRC 2 Investigates how thousands of domestic violence cases are being handled by the Harris County District Attorney’s office. We’ve uncovered an increasing number of cases being dismissed.

Former Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has bonded out of jail after he was arrested on domestic violence charges in Dallas.

HOUSTON – Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced that the city is investing $6.2 million, provided by the CARES Act funding, in an effort to fight domestic violence, which he said has increased during the coronavirus pandemic. Turner launched the Domestic Violence and Crisis Intervention Response Initiative with officials from both the Houston police and fire departments and Houston Public Health on Monday during a press conference. He said the initiative will help the city intensify its efforts to address the increase in domestic violence calls. The domestic violence response initiative is needed.”Officials with the Houston Health Department said its mental health division, crisis intervention response team and community partners will expand their reach to serve more domestic abuse victims. The Houston Health Department also launched Phase 2 of its public health campaign called, "Don’t stop.

HOUSTON – The family of a Missouri City man who police say was killed by his girlfriend’s ex-husband Monday said they urged him last week to end his relationship. Now, Martez Hurt’s family is heading to Texas from Washington, D.C. to retrieve his body. This past March, Fort Bend County deputies received three domestic violence calls concerning Jacobs and his unnamed ex-wife, officials said. Their emergency shelters are currently full due to social-distancing, but they are providing hotel accommodations to domestic violence survivors. Domestic violence survivors are urged to call the 24/7 emergency hotline for help at 281-342-HELP.

HOUSTON – In response to the rise in domestic and animal violence cases, local agencies are partnering to form the Southeast Texas Link Coalition to combat the abuse. The Southeast Texas LINK Coalition aims to bring together agencies from across Southeast Texas to build a cohesive network that combats both animal violence and human violence. “By launching the southeast Texas Link coalition we hope to prevent, combat, and educate the public on the link between domestic violence and animal cruelty,” said Dr. Malone. A representative of the coalition said since the COVID-19 pandemic began, there has been an increase in domestic violence cases. Animal abuse cases are expected to go up as well.

Rio Red Sky Gonzales is mourning the loss of her close friend and her brother’s girlfriend, Julie De La Garza. The 20-year-old woman was shot in the face in the Cypress Spring area last Sunday. De La Garza and her boyfriend Francisco Gonzales were driving in a truck when her ex-boyfriend, who was identified as Mann Austin Hayes began firing. De La Garza was rushed to a nearby emergency room, where she was transported to the hospital and later died. “I’m leaving this to god and the court system to bring justice to Julie,” said Gonzales.

HOUSTON – Domestic violence is on the rise nationally and both our local police and hospitals are noticing the surge. This week, officers were shot while responding to a domestic violence call, where Sgt. “We know what happens all too often in these domestic violence situations when a woman has had enough and that abusive husband ends up committing murder,” Houston police Chief Art Acevedo said. Fisher said risk factors for domestic violence are social and financial stress. The U.S. Department of Justice is trying to relieve this problem with a plan to provide $160 million for victim assistance.

HOUSTON – Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced a new initiative that will target human trafficking and domestic violence in Houston Monday afternoon. Turner said he is expanding the mayor’s office of human trafficking to include domestic violence. He said the office’s new name will be Mayor’s Office of Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence, which will be led by Minal Davis. The mayor’s decision to add domestic violence to the office is due to both being forms of gender-based violence. The city of Houston became the first major city in the nation to pass a hotel ordinance that will require hotels to train employees on human trafficking and indicators of sex and labor trafficking, Turner said.

HOUSTON – A new non-profit organization opened its doors in May and is working to reach more survivors of domestic violence in Houston’s minority communities. “What we’ve always known is minorities are disproportionally impacted by domestic violence,” said Carvana Cloud. She herself grew up in Acres Homes and experienced domestic violence as a child. You can also contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by using the discreet online chat function on its website or by calling 1−800−799−7233. In our series “Stronger Houston,” we examine issues impacting people inequitably by race, gender, income, age, geography, religion, and other factors.

HOUSTON – A Fort Bend Independent School District police officer is accused of shooting his wife during a domestic dispute at a home in southeast Houston, according to the Houston Police Department. The shooting was reported at 3:49 p.m. at a home in the 14200 block of Prosperity Ridge Drive. Police said the accused officer shot his wife in the chest. The couple has three children and one child was inside the home during the shooting, officials said. “As normal protocol, the District’s Human Resources Department and the Fort Bend ISD Police Department will conduct internal investigations and take all appropriate actions when the investigation is completed.

Houston nonprofit PetSet has launched Pet Protect, a free pet boarding initiative for survivors of domestic violence. The initiative aims to create an opportunity for individuals to flee dangerous environments safely without having to leave behind their pets. Since the stay-home, work-safe order was enacted, weve seen an increase in reports of domestic violence, Co-President of Houston PetSet Tama Lundquist said. Unfortunately, we know that oftentimes an abuser will use a pet as leverage to keep their victim in the home. Too often it is not just innocent people that are subjected to violence but their pets endure abuse as well, Houston Dog Ranch owner Matt Bryant said.

Preliminary info: a male arrived at a house party and shot an adult female. #HouNews pic.twitter.com/5CwwNaaiWe Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) December 25, 2019BE ON THE LOOKOUT: @HCSOTexas investigators say the suspect is on the run. https://t.co/2s7GMvy3tI Katherine Marchand (@KatherineMABC13) December 25, 201952-year-old Albert Benjamin Simon is accused of shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend at a Christmas party Tuesday night. The Sheriff's Office says Simon left the scene in a dark colored Jeep Cherokee.A murder warrant has been issued for Simon. He has a mugshot on file with the Harris County Sheriff's Office for a prior offense.

Preliminary info: a male arrived at a house party and shot an adult female. #HouNews pic.twitter.com/5CwwNaaiWe Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) December 25, 2019BE ON THE LOOKOUT: @HCSOTexas investigators say the suspect is on the run. https://t.co/2s7GMvy3tI Katherine Marchand (@KatherineMABC13) December 25, 201952-year-old Albert Benjamin Simon is accused of shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend at a Christmas party Tuesday night. The Sheriff's Office says Simon left the scene in a dark colored Jeep Cherokee.A murder warrant has been issued for Simon. He has a mugshot on file with the Harris County Sheriff's Office for a prior offense.

Preliminary info: a male arrived at a house party and shot an adult female. #HouNews pic.twitter.com/5CwwNaaiWe Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) December 25, 2019BE ON THE LOOKOUT: @HCSOTexas investigators say the suspect is on the run. https://t.co/2s7GMvy3tI Katherine Marchand (@KatherineMABC13) December 25, 201952-year-old Albert Benjamin Simon is accused of shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend at a Christmas party Tuesday night. The Sheriff's Office says Simon left the scene in a dark colored Jeep Cherokee.A murder warrant has been issued for Simon. He has a mugshot on file with the Harris County Sheriff's Office for a prior offense.

Preliminary info: a male arrived at a house party and shot an adult female. #HouNews pic.twitter.com/5CwwNaaiWe Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) December 25, 2019BE ON THE LOOKOUT: @HCSOTexas investigators say the suspect is on the run. He left the scene in a Jeep Cherokee and is believed to be armed and dangerous, per @SheriffEd_HCSO. https://t.co/2s7GMvy3tI Katherine Marchand (@KatherineMABC13) December 25, 201952-year-old Albert Benjamin Simon is accused of shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend at a Christmas party Tuesday night. He has a mugshot on file with the Harris County Sheriff's Office for a prior offense.