A weekend-long imprisonment by her husband made one 53-year-old
Morgan Hill woman the sixth victim of a serious domestic violence
situation over the weekend.
A weekend-long imprisonment by her husband made one 53-year-old Morgan Hill woman the sixth victim of a serious domestic violence situation over the weekend.
According to Morgan Hill Police Lt. Joe Sampson, the woman flagged down an off-duty MHPD officer that she knew Sunday evening and told him she had just escaped from her home, that her 50-year-old husband had imprisoned her all weekend. She had been without food for 36 hours and had also not been permitted to drink water during much of that time.
The off-duty officer called 911, and when officers arrived, they set up a perimeter in the neighborhood. The suspect attempted to slip through the loop, Sampson said, but was apprehended later without incident.
The victim told officers her husband was suffering from depression and was using medications and alcohol.
“During the weekend, he’d just gone off the deep end, threatening to harm himself or her,” Sampson said. “At one point, he used both hands to grab her neck and threatened to kill her … He apparently had some sort of breakdown over a variety of stresses in their lives.”
Sampson said there were no weapons involved, and the victim was not injured, although she may have sought treatment on her own for the effects of being denied food and water.
There was some pushing and shoving over the period of the weekend, Sampson said the victim reported, and arguing back and forth. The suspect would make the victim go and stay in different rooms of the house at different times of the day and night, Sampson said, and at one point, made her hold him all night because he had taken pills and told her he wanted her to be with him when he died.
“She was unharmed; fear was the main thing,” Sampson said.
The victim was able to flag down the off-duty officer when the suspect agreed to let her take the dog for a walk at 6:50pm Sunday. The suspect was transported to Saint Louise Medical Center to check his physical condition, later released and booked into county jail on charges of false imprisonment, making criminal threats and kidnapping.
The victim later met with Community Solutions, Sampson said.
(The Times is not naming the suspect to protect the identify of the victim.)
There were five other incidents of domestic violence over the weekend, he said, aside from the usual calls where a couple or family members are having an argument.
“These were calls where we had to take action,” he said. “That’s about double the amount for a normal weekend.”
One of the other calls involved a knife, he said, and another a pillow, as a male was “tired of listening” to the female victim and held the pillow over her face.
Domestic events will likely increase during the holiday season.
“Family violence incidents are higher this time of year,” said Sampson. “Many times they involve the use of alcohol and/or drugs, as they did this weekend. Families are getting together to celebrate or commiserate, and the holidays can be a difficult time, particularly if a family has lost a loved one during the year or had financial or other difficulties during the year. Emotions are stronger.”
According to the MHPD, during what is considered the holiday period from the second week in November until the end of the first week in January, the average number of calls is approximately 6,800.
For a similar amount of time during another part of the year, the average is 6,500, so the department experiences an increase of approximately 4.5 percent during the holiday season.
In order to try to prevent a holiday occasion turning ugly, Sampson said, there are several things people can do.
“First of all, the primary thing, is to set out to drink in moderation,” he said. “Recognize that alcohol can escalate the problem. Another thing we recommend, if people find they are going through emotional upsurges at this time of year, is to talk it out with friends and family or seek assistance. Community Solutions has a crisis hotline, 683-4118, and the Gilroy Family Resource center, 846-5000, can provide referrals for counseling.”
Getting out of the situation if possible is the best advice, Sampson said. “The best thing we’ve found that works when situations heat up, whether it’s with a spouse or a brother, or cousin or any other family member, is to take an opportunity to cool off,” he said.
But if the person has been drinking, Sampson emphasized, they should not attempt to drive themselves, but take a walk or call someone else to drive them.
Perla Flores, assistant manager safety and support services for Community Solutions, said victims of domestic violence “definitely need to look for help.”
“They should not feel compelled to stay in an abusive relationship because of the children,” she said. “The children may end up more emotionally damaged, and may be victims of abuse themselves, if they stay.”
