SPECIAL REPORT: Vindication from Violence

Domestic Violence affects more people than you think and in Imperial County, the statistics are no different - 13 On Your Side's Vanessa Gongora reports

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - The amount of domestic violence victims served in Imperial County has increased by 50% from 2019 to 2021, according to the Imperial County District Attorney's Office.

In 2021, 29 victims requested immediate advocacy by phone and 85 victims requested law enforcement, those numbers only increasing from previous years.

Everybody knows somebody, but sometimes you don't know that someone is going through it.

Domestic violence comes physically, verbally, and emotionally, it does not discriminate.

One Imperial Valley victim, Elvira Herrera, shares her story in hopes of saving others.

Herrera, a mother of two says she had to fight for her life while with three different partners.

Herrera says her first domestic violence experience started in Brawley at 18 years old.

"I was three months pregnant when he came home and started beating on me. So at this point, I'm on the floor and I'm covering my stomach, so I just feel him stomping on my head and it was hurting so bad that I let go of my stomach and covered my head," Herrera explains. "When I felt him just kicking and kicking my stomach. And from kicking me so much, I was holding my stomach screaming for him to please stop. So he stopped and I started bleeding a lot."

The abuse was so severe, she lost her baby.

Months later, Herrera experienced another tragedy.

"I called it what it was, a rape. He forced himself on me and I ended up getting pregnant," says Herrera. "I did let him know I was pregnant and he beat me. He said that I was cheating on him so he beat me up."

Fortunately, she had a healthy baby girl.

Herrera would later escape from him but found herself in a similar situation down the road with her second husband.

This time, she says he was trying to kill her.

"His words in Spanish was 'acabas de entrar en tu propio ataúd', like you just walked into your own coffin," Herrera remarks.

Herrera says she was beaten, raped, urinated on, and shot in the foot.

She says she stayed as close to the shotgun as possible.

"Survival mode," Herrera continues. "He started hitting my hands and I would not let go. I was holding on. That's when he started snapping my nails."

But the abuse only continued.

Finally, a phone call from her son. A plot for her escape began by talking to him in code.

"He's like mama they wanna know if you're bleeding? And I'm like well you know what? Bring me ketchup for my fries, a lot of ketchup. He's like mama you're bleeding? I'm like yes," Herrera describes.

That phone call saved her life.

"The doctor came in and said I want to be the first one to wish you a happy birthday because you were born again today," says Herrera.

Gina Vargas, Executive Director of WomanHaven, a shelter for victims of domestic violence says she hopes Herrera's story helps other victims being abused right now.

"A survivor's story will empower a victim," says Vargas.

And as a survivor of domestic violence myself, I want other victims to know you are not alone.

Even though you may feel trapped, there is always a way out and so many resources available to keep you safe.

The Imperial County's District Attorney's (ICDA) Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT) works hand in hand with WomanHaven to keep victims safe.

Orlando Espino, District Attorney Investigator, says the team was started in 2018 and funded by the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program.

"It's a multi-disciplinary team consisting of a District Attorney Investigator, a Victim Witness Advocate, a Deputy District Attorney, and a Domestic Violence Counselor from Womanhaven," explains Espino.

He says the principal duty of DVRT is to be available for call-outs from local law enforcement agencies when they respond to strangulation-involved domestic violence incidents.

So what happens when the team is called to an incident?

"For us to show up and be able to put a face to somebody who is going to help you through the court process. And some of these survivors need assistance, monetary assistance. They need housing," says describes Espino. "A lot of times they don't have method of communication. What we've seen since 2018, the aggressors will break the cell phones and so now they have no way to communicate with their family with the outside world and that's one of the things we're able to offer them."

Espino says many victims in Imperial Valley face challenges because of the language barrier and fear of deportation, but Espino reiterates resources are still available regardless of citizenship.

"There's programs in place where we get ahold of the Mexican Consulate and help them get a U Visa which allows them to stay here while the criminal proceedings are ongoing."

He adds that telling someone about the abuse, along with camera footage and documenting your evidence is vital.

"When law enforcement is presented with evidence, then it just changes the whole dynamics because now you're able to document and prove that something was occurring," continues Espino.

The DV Counselor is co-located at ICDA and provides 24-hour victim advocacy, crisis intervention, and referral to services, at the request of law enforcement. DVRT provides advocacy in person or via telephone.

ICDA utilizes Victim Witness advocates as backups when the DV Counselor is unavailable.

The DV Counselor works with Victim Witness to encourage and assist victims apply for assistance from the California Victim Compensation Board.

DVRT provides immediate advocacy for domestic violence survivors and secondary victims like children and other members of the household.

When the home is no longer safe, WomanHaven offers a place to escape the vicious cycle.

"A place for their children, a place for themselves, a place for quietness and peacefulness when home isn't a peaceful place anymore," states Vargas.

WomanHaven even helps file restraining orders.

"You have to think safety is your number one and that you need to get out because one, he could get to a place to where he severely harms you or even kills you," Vargas explains.

Imperial County Behavioral Health Services Marriage and Family Therapist Dalia Pesqueira describes some of the symptoms a victim will experience.

"One of the main ones can be anxiety related symptoms. Under anxiety, they can have irritability, problems concentrating, problems with sleep, either they're sleeping too much or not sleeping enough, problems with eating, which it can cause an eating disorder" explains Pesqueira.

Behavioral Health Services provides therapy for victims.

"In therapy, they're going to help them to understand where the feelings, where the symptoms, where the negative thoughts come from," continues Pesqueira. "Help them to understand whether there's a diagnosis that's related or not and how they can better cope so it doesn't impair them in their lives."

Herrera shares a message for survivors.

"Your scars are the medals of a war you won and you're still standing," Herrera shares.

After Herrera's traumatic experiences, she became an advocate for domestic violence to assist victims in court and be there every step of the way.

Each of these resources can help save a life, your life.

For assistance in court, you can contact Elvira Herrera at (501) 613-1986.

You can reach the ICDA Victim Witness Assistance Program at (442) 265-1221.

If you're in need of shelter in Imperial County, you can contact WomanHaven's 24-hour crisis line at (760) 353-8530 or Amberly's Place 24-hour hotline in Yuma County at (928) 373-0849.

To reach Imperial County Behavioral Health Services, you can call the crisis number at 1-800-817-5292.