Domestic Violence In The News -- AGAIN!!!
(Saint Patrick's Day, 2025!!!)
"DV In the News: Texas brute charged with beating wife to death with iron, dumping her dogs on the highway" (SOURCE).
"A deranged Texas man is due in court Monday on allegations that he beat his wife to death with a clothing iron — after stealing her four pet dogs and dumping them on the freeway.Chance Zane Chavez, 34, was hit with murder charges after police showed up at the couple’s Houston home last week and found him drenched in blood and the body of his battered 32-year-old wife, Kristen Chavez, in the bedroom, according to police.
“Even though it was not a good situation, [she was] staying in it, hoping that things will change,” her heartbroken mother, Laura Bell, told KRIV-TV News of the relationship. “We’re hoping that he remains in jail until the trial and throughout the trial for him to be held accountable for what he’s done.”
"Police said Chance Chavez’s alleged night of terror began hours before he was arrested when he allegedly stole his wife’s four dogs and abandoned them on the side of the Katy Freeway.
One of the pups, a dachshund named Peaches, has yet to be found, KRIV reported."
"Then, shortly before 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, police were called to the couple’s house in Houston’s Central Northwest neighborhood to find the accused killer in the doorway with his hands up and blood splattered on his arms, legs and clothing, according to the outlet.
Kristen Chavez, who had blunt force trauma to her body, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police believe her husband used a clothing iron to repeatedly strike her, the local outlet reported."
"Kristen Chavez’s family said her dogs that he allegedly discarded like trash were “her babies” because she didn’t have children, and said three of the dogs were later found by friends and volunteers — but Peaches remains on the loose.
“We’ve just been putting it out there and even going into the neighborhoods seeking to see if anyone has seen her,” Bell said, adding that finding the other pets “was like a miracle.”
"Chance Chavez was booked on murder charges and ordered held at the Harris County Jail on a $250,000 bond and is due to return to court on Monday.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788."
(SOURCE).
DV In the News: "Xavier Worthy, wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs, arrested on domestic assault charge" - CBS News (Source).
"Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy was released from jail Saturday and won't face domestic assault charges following his arrest on Friday.
According to a jail record from the Williamson County Sheriff's Office, Worthy, 21, was arrested in Georgetown, Texas, on Friday.
He was taken into custody on a count of third-degree felony assault of impeding the breathing, or choking, a family or household member, according to jail records, but prosecutors spoke to witnesses and declined to press charges at this time, the Associated Press reported.
Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick told local the Austin American-Statesman that his office was not accepting the case at this time, adding that the NFL star was fully cooperating with the investigation.
Worthy's attorneys, Chip Lewis and Sam Bassett, told CBS News in a statement to CBS News that Worthy was innocent and that the allegation was made by a woman who had been living in his Texas home. They said she had been asked to leave the house multiple times in the last two weeks "upon discovery of her infidelity.
"She has refused to vacate the residence and made a number of extortive efforts prior to resorting to this baseless allegation against Mr. Worthy," the statement said. "The complainant further destroyed a room in the residence, scratched Mr. Worthy's face and ripped out parts of his hair, which there is photographic evidence of. Worthy told law enforcement at the time of the incident he did not want to press charges against the complainant."
Other details about the incident leading up to Worthy's arrest were not immediately available.
Worthy was initially accused of "intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly impeding the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of the person by applying pressure to the person's throat or neck or by blocking the person's nose or mouth," CBS News affiliate KCTV reported. The charge carries a sentence of two to 10 years in prison, the Associated Press reported.
A spokesperson for the NFL told CBS News that the league was aware of the matter and has been in contact with the club. The Chiefs has not responded to CBS News' request for comment.
Worthy was selected with the 28th pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, KCTV said. As a rookie, he recorded 59 receptions for 638 yards, 104 rushing yards and nine total touchdowns, according to statistics shared by ESPN. During playoffs, he became the team's leading receiver, KCTV said. He played in the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans.
Worthy was born in Fresno, California and played for the Longhorns at the University of Texas before joining the NFL. Williamson County includes parts of Austin." (Source).
"DV In the News: Georgia dentist accused of gunning down her boyfriend" (SOURCE).
"Female Georgia dentist from wealthy coastal enclave accused of killing boyfriend
Mericle is accused of fatally shooting her boyfriend with a handgun in the bedroom of a Gainesville home"
"A dentist practicing in St. Simons Island, Georgia, is accused of fatally shooting her boyfriend in a home in Gainesville, a suburban town northeast of Atlanta.
The Hall County Sheriff's Office has charged Suzanne Renee Mericle, 61, with murder, tampering with evidence, aggravated assault against a spouse or family member, possession of a firearm in the commission of a crime, obstruction or resisting, driving under the influence and a traffic-related charge.
Authorities with the sheriff's office initially responded to a home off of Bayridge Drive in Gainesville at approximately 1:15 a.m. on March 8.
Deputies located an unresponsive man, later identified as 68-year-old David Barron, in a bedroom. He had been shot in the torso, according to the sheriff's office.
"The two were in a relationship and lived together at the residence. Mericle was at home when the deputies arrived," the sheriff's office said in a press release posted to Facebook.
Mericle owns a dental practice in the wealthy, coastal Georgia town of St. Simons Island, a popular vacation destination among Georgia locals and out-of-state visitors alike. Mericle Dentistry has a 4.8-star rating on Google with 180 reviews, and the practice's slogan is, "Anything is possible with a Miracle." (Source).
"DV In the news: Attacker sets a woman on fire on a train in eastern Germany and flees - CBS News" (Source).
"An assailant poured a liquid over a woman on a tram in eastern Germany on Sunday and set her on fire, police said. The woman was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, while the attacker fled.
Police said no other people were hurt in the incident in the eastern city of Gera, German news agency dpa reported. Passengers stopped the tram by pressing an emergency button, and the assailant took the opportunity to flee.
The tram driver immediately began to extinguish the flames, and the 46-year-old woman was taken to a hospital by helicopter.
Police were searching for the assailant. It wasn't immediately clear what prompted the attack, or what exactly the liquid was." (Source).
"DV In The News: 2 men arrested in India in connection to gang rape of Israeli woman and local host - CBS News" (SOURCE).
"Two men in southern India were arrested in connection to the gang rape of two women and the drowning death of a man, officials said Saturday.
An Israeli tourist and her homestay host were stargazing with three male travelers - an American and two Indians - in Koppal town in southern Karnataka state on Thursday night, police official Ram L. Arasiddi said.
According to an initial investigation, three men on a motorbike approached them, asking for money. Following arguments, the three men pushed the male travelers into a nearby water canal and sexually assaulted the two women, Arasiddi said.
He said one of the Indian tourists drowned and his body was recovered on Saturday, adding that the American and another Indian swam to safety.
Koppal is about 217 miles from Bengaluru, India's startup and technology powerhouse.
Arasiddi said police set up a special investigation team that arrested two out of the three suspects on Saturday. They were being investigated on suspicion of attempted murder, gang rape and robbery, he said.
Sexual assaults on women have become familiar in India, where police recorded 31,516 rape cases in 2022, a 20% increase from 2021, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. That's an average of about 90 rapes per day, CBS News previously reported, and the real figure is believed to be far higher due to the stigma surrounding sexual violence and victims' lack of faith in police.
Rape and sexual violence have been under the spotlight since the brutal 2012 gang rape and killing of a 23-year-old student on a New Delhi bus. The attack galvanized massive protests and inspired lawmakers to order the creation of fast-track courts dedicated to rape cases and stiffen penalties.
The rape law was amended in 2013, criminalizing stalking and voyeurism and lowering the age at which a person can be tried as an adult from 18 to 16. The government in 2018 approved the death penalty for people convicted of raping children under age 12.
Despite stringent laws, it's rare for more than a few weeks to pass without another brutal sexual assault being reported.
High-profile cases involving foreign visitors have drawn international attention to the issue. A man who killed and raped an Irish tourist at a hotel in 2017 was found guilty in 2025 and sentenced to life in prison. Last year, in a video that was later deleted, a Spanish tourist said his wife was raped in northern India while an Indian-American woman said she was raped at a hotel in New Delhi. In 2022, a British tourist was raped in front of her partner in Goa.
In another high-profile case, doctors in hospitals across India went on strike after a trainee was raped and killed in August 2024. A police volunteer was found guilty of the crime, but avoided the death penalty, CBS News previously reported. " (SOURCE).
"DV In the News: Missing woman found dead in suitcase, ex-boyfriend in custody" (Source).
"A woman's ex-boyfriend is in police custody after she was found dead in a suitcase on Thursday in Yonkers, New York, law enforcement sources said.
Pamela Alcantara, 26, was found dead in a marshy area by the side of Saw Mill River Parkway after going missing over the weekend, according to law enforcement sources.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, the NYPD said.
While her 46-year-old ex-boyfriend remains in custody, no one has been charged yet in her death. He is not cooperating with police, sources said.
The couple had been dating for three years before she recently broke it off, her family told New York ABC station WABC.
Alcantara lived with the man in her Bronx apartment. Detectives were looking to talk to him this week in connection to her disappearance, according to sources.
Her ex-boyfriend's license plate pinged near the location the body was found at 9:50 a.m. on Thursday, according to WABC.
The NYPD searched an area along the roadway where his vehicle stopped and a drone spotted the red suitcase containing her body in the water, according to law enforcement sources.
The man was taken into custody soon after. He initially told detectives Alcantara left her apartment in a hurry, wearing pajamas and carrying the red suitcase, sources sad. Evidence recovered by detectives later revealed that was not accurate, and he requested a lawyer, according to sources.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death, according to the NYPD.
Alcantara was reported missing on Sunday after she did not show up to church. The circumstances surrounding her death remain under investigation, according to law enforcement sources.
Alcantara was last seen on surveillance video early Sunday at her residence, according to the NYPD.
ABC News' CeFaan Kim, Mark Crudele and Omar Rodriguez contributed to this report." (Source).
"DV In The News: Draft law defining femicide, punishing it with up to life in prison approved by Italian government - Washington Times" (SOURCE).
"Italian government approves draft law targeting femicide, with punishment up to life in prison.
The Italian government approved a draft law that for the first time introduces the legal definition of femicide in the country’s criminal law and punishes it with life imprisonment.
The move, announced on the eve of Women’s International Day on Saturday, aims at tackling a shocking string of homicides and violence targeting women in Italy through strengthening measures against gender-based crimes like stalking and revenge porn.
The proposal, agreed on late Friday, still needs to go through parliament and be approved by both chambers to become law.
“This is an extremely significant bill, which introduces the crime of femicide in our legal system as an autonomous crime, punishing it with life imprisonment,” said conservative Premier Giorgia Meloni, who strongly backed the initiative.
“It introduces aggravating circumstances and increases sentences for crimes including personal mistreatment, stalking, sexual violence and revenge porn,” she said in a statement.
While the center-left opposition welcomed the move, it stressed that the new law only tackles the criminal aspect of the problem, while leaving economic and cultural divides unaddressed.
Recently, femicide has emerged as a systemic problem deeply entrenched into Italy’s patriarchal culture, with some violent incidents renewing debate on gender-based crimes.
Particularly striking was the killing of Giulia Cecchettin, the 22-year-old university student brutally stabbed to death by her former boyfriend Filippo Turetta in November 2023. Last December, Turetta was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Recent studies show that, while homicides have been declining in the Mediterranean country, the rate of femicides tends to be stable or only slightly decrease, while remaining strictly linked to the family or the “emotional sphere” of the victims.
Official data by the Italian Interior ministry recorded 113 femicides in 2024, of which 99 committed by relatives, partners or ex-partners." (SOURCE).
DV In the news: "Colorado woman teamed up with stranger to murder her boyfriend who doubted she'd get a job", authorities say - CBS News (SOURCE).
"A Colorado woman has been convicted in the murder of her boyfriend after authorities say she teamed up with a stranger to kill him because she was upset that he had doubted her chances of getting a job.
Ashley White, 29, was found guilty of second-degree murder and other charges in connection with the 2020 death of her boyfriend, 28-year-old Cody DeLisa, Adams County District Attorney Brian Mason announced this week. White was arrested in August 2020 after DeLisa was found shot to death inside their home in Commerce City, CBS Colorado reported at the time.
In the months leading up to the murder, White and DeLisa had a "volatile and strained relationship," in part because DeLisa had often criticized his girlfriend for being unable to secure a full-time job, according to the district attorney's office. Authorities say White grew so frustrated with DeLisa that she even tried to drown and burn his cat.
On Aug. 13, 2020, authorities say White attended a job interview in Denver. On the bus ride home, DeLisa "expressed skepticism about her chances of getting the job, which upset White."
White met a stranger on the bus who introduced himself as "Scott" and after talking about DeLisa's alleged abusive behavior, they devised a plan to kill DeLisa, the DA's office said.
After getting off the bus, authorities say, they walked to the home were White and DeLisa lived. A short time later, DeLisa was shot twice in the head, and his body was discovered the next day.
Authorities did not explicitly identify who pulled the trigger but said the pair practiced firing Scott's gun before the murder.
White and Scott allegedly stole DeLisa's wallet after the murder and spent the next few days in the area before Scott left, and White told authorities she never saw him again. White was later identified as a suspect and was arrested and charged.
Three years after the killing, authorities made another breakthrough in the case. In 2023, a woman who identified herself as the girlfriend of Michael Stratton contacted the district attorney's office and said her boyfriend had confessed to being involved in DeLisa's killing.
Authorities say her description matched White's account of the crime. Stratton had been arrested for a separate murder that happened after DeLisa's death. Authorities said Stratton was deemed incompetent to stand trial in that case, and he has not been charged in connection with DeLisa's murder.
White's trial began on Jan. 6, and after about three weeks of testimony, the jury found her guilty of second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit second-degree murder and robbery.
"This was a tragic and senseless murder and Ashley White bears significant culpability for it," said District Attorney Brian Mason. "Her callous actions led to the victim's death and now she will pay a significant price."
White is scheduled for sentencing on April 4. (SOURCE).
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