This is a letter we received from a regular reader and contributor. It demonstrates the inability of an Orange County Restraining Order to stop a Murder. This Blog understands there is violence against women. But if you think a piece of paper signed by a Judge is going to stop it, the statistics do not agree. It would seem that all these Orlando Restraining Orders are doing, is pissing people going through a break up off, and sometimes sending them right over the edge.
I come from a large Italian Family, and my Aunt was being both verbally and physically abused by my Uncle, many years ago. My Aunt was a good Catholic Girl, so divorce was not an option, in her mind.
After calling the Police several times, a detective followed up with her. His advice ? Go get a gun permit, and learn how to shoot it!
Well, she did, and she let it be known to my abusive uncle, that she had a gun, and knew how to use it.
Guess what ? The abuse stopped! My Uncle did finally divorce my Aunt, and went and found an easier target to abuse.
It is stupid to think an Orange County Florida Restraining Order is going to stop an abuser who is really determined to harm someone,
Restraining Orders are being abused everyday by vindictive ex partners, and those seeking an unfair advantage in a Divorce.
This Murder, in spite of an order of protection being in place, is just another example of the failure of these orders to really protect people.
The letter is below:
It's happened again. Since the implementation of the stricter anti-stalking laws in Florida, there has been a domestic violence related
murder nearly every week.
About 11 a.m. Thursday, October 18, Bradford Baumet walked into the Las Dominicanas M&M hair salon in the Orlando suburb of Casselberry and shot his estranged girlfriend, 44-year-old Marcia Santiago, and three others. I was at the gym, 2 blocks away. Santiago was listed in "serious condition" at a local hospital, police said.
Santiago was scheduled to appear before an Orange County judge Thursday afternoon to seek a permanent restraining order against Baumet, court records show. Baumet was scheduled to appear in his own defense.
On Thursday evening, authorities released the names of the three women who were killed.
Eugenia Marte, 36, was co-owner of the salon and had filed a similar request against Baumet weeks ago, according to court filings. Marte, 45 was scheduled to appear in court next week to request that her injunction against Baumet become permanent.
The two other fatalities were identified as salon employee Noelia Gonzalez-Brito, 28, of Kissimmee, and customer Gladys Cabrera, 52, of Orlando. Gonzalez-Brito was five months pregnant.
This month, Baumet drove to the salon and threatened to kill the women inside while he banged on the locked door, according to court filings reviewed by the Sentinel. Santiago wrote on her application for an injunction against Baumet that she feared for her life and that he had gotten physically abusive with her in the past.
She wrote that she did not immediately file the complaint with the court because Baumet had threatened to kill her.
Clearly, these new anti-stalking laws and restraining orders don't work. As I stated in a previous article, it seems to have driven these
crazed killers to make sure they get the job done right the first time. There has to be a better way to protect these victims of domestic violence.
Clearly, a piece of paper is not the answer.
