Domestic violence was one of the most common causes of homicide in San Diego County last year, according to a new study released by SANDAG Thursday.
The report — “San Diego Violent Crime Victims and Suspects in 2013” — concluded that one in five homicides in San Diego County in 2013 were the result of domestic violence, up from the year before.
Domestic violence was the second most common cause of homicide, right behind argument but before gang activity, which ranked third.
Key findings in the study included that 83 percent of female homicide victims in San Diego were murdered by a spouse, intimate partner or family member, compared to 16 percent of male homicide victims.
“Countywide, females were more likely to be murdered as a result of domestic violence, while males were more often a homicide victim due to an argument, robbery, or gang-related incident,” explained Dr. Cynthia Burke, SANDAG Criminal Justice Research Director.
One such female victim was Rocio Duncan, 36, who was stabbed to death by her estranged husband in front of the Imperial Beach Sheriff's Station as she dropped off their two children — a court-ordered exchange.
"'If you don't belong to me, you don't belong to anyone' is what the message was," said Duncan's father Juan Medina. "He told her, 'You're going to meet your maker.'"
Medina told NBC 7 Duncan did everything she could to get away from her husband, including going to a shelter.
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Her father said the community must have more outreach to potential victims, more monitoring and more awareness.
"The only way we're going to be more proactive is to get the word out. The word has to be sent out to the community. This thing is starting to stink and the best deodorizer is sunlight," said Medina.
According to Burke, deadly domestic violence trends have been fairly consistent over the years.
Over the past several years, there have been some variations in the rate of homicide linked to domestic violence, ranging from a low of 16 percent in 2008 to a high of 30 percent in 2011.
In looking at ethnicity, the study notes that domestic violence was the primary factor leading to homicide in 29 percent of cases involving a Hispanic victim and in 36 percent of cases involving an “other” race or ethnicity. It was a factor in 9 percent of homicides involving a white victim.
The report also shed light on some rape statistics. Though women ages 18 to 24 only make up 12 percent of the regional population, they comprise 34 percent of rape victims.
The study said 42 percent of rape suspects are between 25 and 39 years old, though this age group makes up only 22 percent of the region’s population.
To read the full report, click here.
