A recent double murder at the Arlington Gardens housing development on Randolph Avenue has local officials concerned. Kevin Hodges, 36, has been charged with the brutal murder of his mother and grandmother on Dec. 5.
“The Jersey City Police Department received a 911 call that there was someone screaming for help,” Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said.
Police climbed into the apartment via the fire escape and came upon a gruesome, blood-soaked scene. Rebecca Hodges, 56, and Dorothy Bradshaw, 76, were pronounced dead at Jersey City Medical Center.
In the apartment, police found a bloody sword, knife, and meat cleaver. Later, they apprehended Hodges in the neighborhood. Several news reports said Hodges had recently lost his job and had struggled to make child support payments.
Experts say this kind of violence can happen anywhere and often goes undetected. But the warning signs are often there.
The Randolph Avenue murders were among many horrifying incidents domestic violence leading to homicide in Jersey City this year and last year, including some in which children were the victims.
While murders in Jersey City are down from their recent high of 30 two years ago, this is the second time in three years that the city has seen a spike in domestic violence murders.
And statewide, since Jan. 1, 2016, there have been at least 43 deaths stemming from domestic violence: 24 women and six men killed by a loved one, two children, and 11 offenders who committed suicide after killing or attempting to kill their loved ones.
Jersey City cases
Jersey City murders have made up nearly 10 percent of those deaths. Domestic violence saw spikes both in 2016 and in 2014, but have been reported in other years as well.
On June 14, 2016 Monica L. Haddad, 44, was shot and killed by her husband Raymond S. Haddad, 54, who then killed himself.
On Oct. 20, Christa Caper, 20, was found unresponsive in her boyfriend’s Jersey City apartment. On Oct. 28, Sineka Davis, 38, was shot to death in her home. Her husband, Steven L. Franklin, shot himself in his car afterwards.
In October of 2015, a woman and her 4-year-old son were found dead in their Lincoln Avenue home. The woman had been strangled and the boy had suffocated. The woman’s ex-boyfriend was apprehended later in Bergen County. The woman’s Facebook page showed photos of her boy smiling at his last birthday party the year before.
In 2014, Patricia Santana, 53, was stabbed to death in her Kennedy Boulevard home. Her boyfriend was later charged.
“We are looking at other cities and what they have implemented. Our goal is to have a program started in 2017.” – Mayor Steven Fulop
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The same year, a toddler, Karen Lewin, 2, died as a result of blunt force injury. Her mother and her boyfriend were charged.
Marilyn Albizu, 33, was found strangled in her home. A man living with her was charged.
Some cases are extremely dramatic. In 2013, a Jersey City man’s decomposing body was found in a Corbin Avenue home after the landlord reported a stench. The man’s stepson was charged with the murder.
In 2011, a popular Jersey City waitress failed to show up at work for days. Her husband had called to say she was taking a trip, but in reality, she was missing. Police eventually found her body in concrete in the basement of their apartment building. The couple’s young daughter was placed with grandparents.
Mayor Steven Fulop said the city is seeking for find a solution to the problem of domestic violence.
“We are looking at other cities and what they have implemented,” he said. “Our goal is to have a program started in 2017. There are many facets to this, including social services and tracking, however, some of the domestic issues the city has experienced this year didn’t have prior records with regards to domestic violence.”
According to the NJCEDV, the NJ State Police have reported an annual average of 41 domestic violence homicides statewide since 2005.
“This statistic reflects only those incidents when a victim of domestic violence was killed by an offender who survived and then was charged with the crime of homicide,” the JNCEDV report said. “Some deaths, however, are not included in these numbers. When we count murder-suicides, suicide by desperate victims, suicide by perpetrators, children who are killed, and the deaths of bystanders and first responders, the loss of life is staggering.”
Look for clues
Virginia Mollenkott, an English professor at William Paterson University known for her works in the feminist, gay and religious community, said domestic violence is insidious, in that it once it starts it rarely stops, and usually get progressively worse. The perpetrator usually doesn’t stop unless he or she gets treatment. A victim must get out of the situation before it gets worse.
“This fact applies to women who abuse as well as men,” Mollenkott said “Any domestic relationship, same-sex or heterosexual, will deteriorate once violence has been tolerated, unless both parties seek professional help and really work at change.”
A spokesperson for New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence (NJCEDV) said this kind of violence is common.
“While we cannot speak to the specifics of this case or the history of events that lead to this tragic event, we certainly recognize that domestic violence fatalities continue to occur at an unacceptable rate,” said Nicole Morella, director of Public Policy and Communications for NJCEDV. “We have very strong laws, policies and programming available in New Jersey, yet more must be done. We need to work toward developing and implementing domestic violence homicide reduction efforts in NJ that include strong collaborations across systems and evidence-based assessment tools to better identify high risk offenders of domestic violence.”
Where to seek help
Often the victims need to say something and take action, without letting the abuser know. While domestic violence doesn’t always lead to murder, once it starts it almost never stops.
Experts say the situation is often about control, and the attacker seeking to maintain control over victims. Victims should seek out a friend, family member, or coworker, and tell them what is going on.
Communities should actively engage in dialogue in an attempt to alert victims of domestic violence, estimated at one quarter of all women and one seventh of all men being victimized by an abusive partner. The more open the dialogue, the more likely victims will seek help and abusers will come to understand their behavior is unacceptable.
If you know someone who is in danger of being harmed by a family member or loved one (regardless of the circumstances, including mental illness or substance abuse), please encourage them to seek help. Below are some organizations and 24 hotlines available.
Individuals in the community can go to NJCEDV.org or call the Statewide Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-572-SAFE) to learn more about the programs available in their community, and how they can help a loved one who may be experiencing violence or abuse in their relationship.
Other resources include Women Rising at http://www.womenrising.org/; Domestic Violence 24/7 Helpline: (201) 333-5700; New Jersey Domestic Violence Hotline, 1 (800) 572-SAFE (7233).
The New Jersey Domestic Violence Hotline provides confidential access to domestic violence information and services, including crisis intervention, referral, and advocacy. Bilingual and accessible to the deaf and hearing impaired.
A quiet neighborhood
Meanwhile people in the neighborhood where the murders took place were shocked last week.
Jersey City tends to endure at least 20 to 30 murders per year. This year, no month has gone by without at least one murder, with most taking place on the south and west sides of the city.
Randolph Avenue is a quiet neighborhood. It’s located only a few blocks from violence-plagued Ocean Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive, but is lined mostly with two family homes. It runs parallel to Garfield Avenue. Nearby, Hudson Bergen Light Rail trains pulls across it out of the Garfield Avenue Station.
A worker putting his Thermos and tools on the hood of his car last week laughed about the sudden chill as he prepared for a cold day working construction on the Jersey City waterfront. He did not give his name, but said he was surprised by the violence.
Even the block-long housing complex where the murders took place defies the usual stereotype, tucked in among the homes. While not devoid of problems, according to police the location was less violent than other places further west.
Randolph Avenue is part of a neighborhood in transition, with recently-opened Berry Lane Park only a few steps away. It is an area city officials focus on as a model of success that they hope will spread to the rest the southern portions of Jersey City.
Although some auto repair shops remain along Garfield Avenue, many of the old industrials sites in the area have been cleaned up and part of the region is slated for redevelopment.
While murders in Jersey City are down from their recent high of 30 two years ago, this is the second time in three years that the city has seen a spike in domestic violence murders.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.