Domestic violence takes place in every community, regardless of class or race or profession or ethnicity. It can range from pushing to punches to fatal injuries by knives or guns. Domestic violence often triggers divorce, causing the victim (most often the wife, but sometimes the husband) to become fed up with the situation and break off the relationship, including seeking an end to the other party’s controlling and violent nature. In some instances, the violence continues even after the divorce or the break-up of a family, as one ex-spouse lashes out at the other.

As reported recently in the Los Angeles Times, a 38 year old former husband is charged with murdering his ex-wife and mother of his two children and attempted murder in the wounding of her boyfriend during a child custody exchange. Efrem Ruben Lozoya, 38, turned himself in to police shortly after fatally shooting his ex-wife, Nereida Villanueva, and wounding her boyfriend.

Lozoya and Villanueva had been divorced for several years and police stated they didn’t know what caused Loyoza to shoot the two victims. The estranged couple have two children, ages seven and nine. It isn’t clear if the children witnessed the shootings.  But those children have now lost both parents to violence, one to death and the other to the criminal justice system, presumably for a long long time.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence:

• A woman is fatally shot by a spouse, ex-spouse, or dating partner every 14 hours in the U.S
• 20% of intimate victim homicides victims were not the intimate partners, but were others who intervened, including family members, friends, law enforcement responders, and bystanders
• 72% of all murder-suicides involve an intimate partner and 94% of the victims are female
• 1 in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence annually and 90% of these children witness violence

In New Jersey:

• In 2012, police reported there were 65,060 domestic violence offenses, a 7% decrease from 2011
• Children were involved or present during 29% of domestic violence offenses occurring that year
• Wives were the victims in 16% of these incidents and ex-wives were the victims in 3%
• Females were the victims in 75% of all reported domestic violence offenses in 2012

State law protects domestic partners, those in dating relationships, parents and children from domestic violence through orders of protection or restraining orders. If you are being victimized by domestic violence, you should take immediate legal action to protect yourself from further harm. You may be able to obtain a temporary restraining order without the presence of your abuser. A final hearing will be set in about 10 days to determine if the order should be made permanent.

Get counseling help from a battered women’s shelter.  You can find them online, usually county by county.  They will put you and your children up temporarily and safely, in an undisclosed location, if you have nowhere else to go and no one else to turn to.

If you have an immediate fear for your life or health, or for the life or health of your children, because of possible violence by a current or former spouse or a current or former intimate partner, first and foremost, call 911.  Your next step would be to get a temporary restraining order and then a final restraining order. Call your lawyer for immediate assistance.  In 2014, more than 26,000 of these orders were issued by New Jersey courts, according to NJ.com.

If you are the victim of domestic abuse and want to take legal action to stop it from happening again, or a victim of a phony claim of domestic abuse and you need to defend against such a claim, call the Central Jersey law offices of Hanan M. Isaacs, P.C., at 609-683-7400, or contact us online, for a near-term reduced fee initial consultation.  We will listen to your facts, explain the applicable laws, and advise you about your best options to protect your legal rights, interests and safety.  Call now.  You will be glad you did.