AVP has learned of a hate violence and intimate partner violence related double homicide that occurred in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. According media reports (trigger warning for extreme violence), Felicia Barahona, age 36, and her child Miguel Barahona, age 4, were found dead in their apartment on Monday, December 26th, 2016. The child’s father, Isaac Duran Infante, age 23, has been arrested in connection with the homicide. Infante allegedly told police that part of the motivation for the killing was that Felicia dressed their son in “girl’s clothing” and referred to the child as a girl on Facebook. Felicia Barahona had been Duran’s teacher at Dewitt Clinton High School, and she had initiated their relationship when he was underage.
AVP has reached out to the office of City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, the office of New York City Councilmember Mark Levine, the office of Public Advocate Letitia James, the New York City Commission on Human Rights, the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force, the NYPD Domestic Violence Unit, the LGBT Liaison to the Police Commissioner, and the NYPD Community Affairs Bureau.
TAKE ACTION WITH AVP
In response, AVP will be engaging in outreach in Hamilton Heights in the weeks ahead. We will post outreach details as soon as they have been confirmed on our Facebook page and on AVP’s events calendar. Additionally, to work on issues of violence in an ongoing way, join AVP’s Community Action Committees, community and survivor-led working groups that addresses hate violence, police violence, hook-up violence, intimate partner violence and sexual violence against and within LGBTQ and HIV-affected communities, and which meet monthly at AVP. To join us for outreach or to get involved with our Hate Violence Community Action Committee contact LaLa Zannell at lzannell@avp.org.
AVP IS HERE FOR YOU 24/7
AVP encourages you to report violence you experience or witness to our free and confidential 24-hour bilingual (English/Spanish) hotline at 212-714-1141 where you can speak with a trained counselor and seek support. You can also report violence anonymously online or ask for a counselor to reach out to you.
HELP AVP MAKE THE CITY SAFER FOR OUR COMMUNITIES
Find out more about AVP at our website, avp.org, and get regular updates on our ongoing work on Facebook.com/antiviolence or Twitter @antiviolence, to get involved and make a difference.