By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – A man held his girlfriend and a baby hostage for about four hours Wednesday at a home on Hertel Avenue in Buffalo. The incident ended peacefully when the man, identified as 26-year-old Lamont Sweat, surrendered to police. He was charged with unlawful imprisonment, endangering the welfare of a child and other charges.
This incident was unfolding at the very time state officials were addressing the issue of domestic violence.
The State Division of Criminal Justice Services reports a more than seven percent increase in the number of domestic violence homicides in New York in 2008. Nearly one in five of all homicides last year were the result of domestic violence incidents.
The state found that fifty percent of all murdered females 16 and older in New York were killed by someone who was currently or formerly a spouse or sexual partner. The state's Deputy Secretary for Public Safety Denise O'Donnell says more than $5 million in federal stimulus money is coming to New York to combat the problem.
Both O'Donnell and Barasch cautioned against drawing conclusions about why domestic violence homicides increased from 2007 to 2008. But they did say the poor economy could be an exacerbating factor in a violent relationship.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month in New York. Tonight, purple lights will illuminate Niagara Falls and the Peace Bridge in recognition of the victims and survivors of domestic violence.
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