EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — October marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time dedicated to honoring survivors and educating the public about domestic violence, which remains a critical issue in El Paso.
The El Paso Police Department receives thousands of family violence calls each year, with a recent report indicating a troubling rise in domestic violence homicides. This underscores the urgent need for coordinated support services in the community.
“This is a chance at homicide prevention,” said El Paso District Attorney James Montoya during an interview with KTSM 9 News evening anchor Andy Morgan. “It has been studied time and time again that women are murdered by their intimate partners.”
Montoya says there are at least four murder cases pending in El Paso with domestic violence components to them.
“We want to make sure we’re intervening as early as possible to try and prevent those types of homicides from happening later on,” said Montoya.
In October 2024, the El Paso District Attorney’s office received a significant grant to revive the Domestic Violence Unit, which began its work in January after Montoya assumed office.
The tough stance against domestic violence is multifaceted. Just last month, El Paso County Attorney Christina Sanchez announced the implementation of Texas Senate Bill 1120, a new law that enhances protections for victims of family violence. This legislation, effective Sept. 1, 2025, includes provisions for extending protective orders by two years if related legal cases are ongoing.
Senate Bill 1120 was introduced by Senators Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa and Joan Huffman and was championed by the El Paso County Attorney’s Office in partnership with Speaker Pro Temp Joe Moody and the Texas Council on Family Violence.
“This is a significant step forward for victim safety in Texas,” said Sanchez. “No victim should have to fear their protective order expiring while they are still dealing with a complex legal case.”
With these new measures and ongoing efforts, El Paso aims to reduce domestic violence incidents and provide better protection for victims, offering them more time and peace to rebuild their lives.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KTSM. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KTSM staff before being published.
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