SAN ANTONIO — Over the last few years, thousands of bruised and battered have walked through the doors at the PEACE initiative, a domestic violence center in downtown San Antonio.
No matter how many times Patricia Castillo hears of a deadly domestic incident it still is crushing.
"It doesn't get easier," the executive director of P.E.A.C.E Initiative said with a sigh.
Early Monday morning police responded to a stabbing at the WinnQuest Inn. Officers arrived and found 39-year-old Kevin Ryan stabbed to death. A witness who police say was the suspect’s ex-girlfriend said she was also punched by the suspect after he forced himself into her motel room.
The suspect is Jimmy Turner. The 44-year-old is not only facing a felony murder charge but also aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury to a domestic partner.
"In this situation it was a man that was murdered and woman was injured so the scope of the impact is something that we definitely have to pay a lot more attention to," Castillo said.
"You can be one of the collateral cases of domestic violence where you're not even part of that scenario and yet you end up being the target of that criminal behavior, of murder."
Police say they don't know if Turner and the ex-girlfriend had a history of domestic violence but do know that if often goes unreported.
Which is why they are urging anyone who show even the slightest signs of abuse to come forward.
"It can start with words and verbal altercation and then it escalates because we put hands on when we run out of words," SAPD Officer Alisia Pruneda told KENS 5.
"So just really reaching out and letting us know and providing services for both parties, it's paramount."