NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — Violette Richardson said her quiet street in Newport News was anything but calm early Monday morning after a woman was found dead inside a home on 75th Street.
“When I woke up and opened my door here, I saw the police,” Richardson said.
According to officials, Newport News Police officers were sent to 75th Street near Roanoke Avenue just before 2:30 a.m. for reports of an unresponsive woman.
Officers arrived and found 36-year-old Emma Carolina Lopez Navarre not breathing. She was later pronounced dead at the scene. Richardson said she had spoken to the young woman several times in the past.
“I’m scared about this because I’ve been here for four years and never heard anything from any neighbors,” Richardson said. “This is the first time, so it’s scary, actually.”
After an investigation, police arrested 47-year-old Javier Hernandez-Orellana and charged him with second degree murder. Police said Navarre was involved in a domestic assault with Hernandez-Orellana.
More than 10 million men and women experience some form of domestic violence each year, and often times it’s happening to your friends, family and neighbors, but there are resources to help anyone in need to escape.
“Really, it just crushes us,” HER Shelter community engagement manager Deborah Apperson said.
Help and Emergency Response, Inc., or HER shelter, assists clients with emergency shelter, employment readiness, counseling and legal advocacy plus resources like their 24/7 hotline, which can be reached at 757-485-3384.
“We have an easy exit button on the website, so if your abuser comes in while you’re on the website, you can get out quickly,” Apperson said.
She said their hope is to not see another life end this way.
“We can change that from potential death sentence to living a happy healthy life,” Apperson said.
For a full list of domestic violence resources across Hampton Roads, click here.