NC Domestic Violence Watch

Monday, December 31, 2012

Father kills daughter, self in Sampson County

As reported on WRAL.com:

A Sampson County father who saved his 8-year-old daughter from their burning house in 2002 is now accused of killing her and committing suicide on Sunday, according to family members.
Sampson County deputies found Carlos Vasquez, 39, dead inside his house at at 3660 New Hope Church Road in Turkey on Sunday night, along with his 18-year-old daughter, Itzel Vasquez, of 1342 Sea Brook School Road in Fayetteville.
The sheriff's office said the two were related, but declined to provide specifics about their relationship or how they died.
Family members spoke with WRAL News on Monday and said Carlos Vasquez shot his daughter and then turned the gun on himself.
The father and daughter were in the news on Nov. 4, 2002, after their Clinton home burned down. Carlos Vasquez's wife, Paula Vasquez, and their 4-year-old son, Christian, were found dead at opposite ends of the house.
Witnesses said Carlos Vasquez pulled his daughter, Itzel, out of the burning home through a window. He was treated for minor injuries and released from a local hospital. Itzel was not injured.
Clinton Fire Chief Phillip Miller said in 2002 that the home was so damaged that they might never know the exact cause of the fire.

At the time, officials said Itzel told them that the family left their Christmas tree on overnight. The Christmas tree was in the area where the fire started, officials said, but the exact cause was never determined.
Investigators said the home was equipped with smoke detectors.

Purpose

One definition of purpose is an intention. My intention with this blog is to post news coverage of incidents of domestic violence in North Carolina.

I will be a little, bitty, one-woman news aggregator with the help of Google alerts. This might seem strange, for those of you who know me as an advocate for people accused of crimes, who you would typically imagine defending an alleged abuser. Well, maybe it is strange, but I care deeply about the people who are abused by people who they are in intimate relationships with. Because of my experience in the court system, I see more of this DV than most people do.

It bothers me. I can't represent every DV survivor in court. I can't change people's minds. I can't do much, really, but I can use my information-scavenging talents to share what I already know: that this is a big problem.

Please accept my little effort to help, and join my effort with yours. I'm also posting a few bits of info and resources on the other pages, just in case someone ends up here looking for information and help.

What is domestic violence?

One definition of domestic violence is abuse from a current or former intimate partner, meaning a boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, husband, or ex.

Broader definitions of domestic violence include abuse in other familial relationships, like that of your mother or father or other figure who takes care of you.

There is also a statutory definition of domestic violence, which is used in criminal court and in getting domestic violence protective orders. That is found at N.C. Gen. Stat. 50B-1

§ 50B-1. Domestic violence; definition
(a) Domestic violence means the commission of one or more of the following acts upon an aggrieved party or upon a minor child residing with or in thecustody of the aggrieved party by a person with whom the aggrieved party has or has had a personal relationship, but does not include acts of self-defense:

(1) Attempting to cause bodily injury, or intentionally causing bodily injury; or

(2) Placing the aggrieved party or a member of the aggrieved party’s family or household in fear of imminent serious bodily injury or continued harassment, as defined in G.S. 14-277.3, that rises to such a level as to inflict substantial emotional distress; or

(3) Committing any act defined in G.S. 14-27.2 through G.S. 14-27.7.

(b) For purposes of this section, the term “personal relationship” means a relationship wherein the parties involved:

(1) Are current or former spouses;

(2) Are persons of opposite sex who live together or have lived together;

(3) Are related as parents and children, including others acting in loco parentis to a minor child, or as grandparents and grandchildren. For purposes of this subdivision, an aggrieved party may not obtain an order of protection against a child or grandchild under the age of 16;

(4) Have a child in common;

(5) Are current or former household members;

(6) Are persons of the opposite sex who are in a dating relationship or have been in a dating relationship. For purposes of this subdivision, a dating relationship is one wherein the parties are romantically involved over time and on a continuous basis during the course of the relationship. A casual acquaintance or ordinary fraternization between persons in a business or social context is not a dating relationship.

(c) As used in this Chapter, the term “protective order” includes any order entered pursuant to this Chapter upon hearing by the court or consent of the parties.