A domestic violence report may be a key to understanding what made a 25-year-old New York mother drown herself and her children in the Hudson River on Tuesday. According to local police, Lashandra Armstrong drove her van into the river, drowning herself and three of her children, but a relative reportedly called police prior to the drowning after hearing what was described as “tussling in the background” during a phone call to the Armstrong family.

Armstrong and her three children were later pulled out of the river after a fourth child, aged 10, was found by a passerby and taken to local authorities. The boy was able to escape the sinking vehicle and make it to shore.

Relatives told officials after the drownings that they believed there had been domestic violence between Armstrong and her husband, Jean Pierre.

According to news reports, the bodies of Armstrong was pulled from the vehicle along with the bodies of the children—an 11-month-old girl and two boys, aged two and five. It is believed that Armstrong intentionally drove the vehicle into the river. The surviving son, Lashaun Armstrong, was suffering from mild hypothermia when he was taken to a local fire station. He told fire officials that his mother had driven the van into the river.

Most parents will read this account in horror and try to put themselves in Armstrong’s shoes only to realize that a desperate and perhaps mentally unbalanced woman would put her children in harm’s way. Mothers who read about the death of the three children will feel the need to hug their own children tight and tell them “I love you.” They will certainly feel a sense of grief for Armstrong’s children who died and the son who is left to wonder about the events that led up to the deaths of his mother and siblings.

Whether domestic violence was a factor that triggered Armstrong to drive into the river or if she snapped due to mental illness, the fact remains—three young children and a young mother are dead, and a young boy has been traumatized by what happened and what may have taken place beforehand.

Autopsies were scheduled to be conducted on Wednesday, and authorities continue their investigation.

By: Dr. Jeff Gardere

It has recently been reported in MediaTake Out.com that a few days before the infamous incident where Chris Brown opened a can of whup-a*s on Rihanna in his car, that she had sent him an email in which she basically told him off and accused him of being a “whack” boyfriend and a horrible person, after he had failed to give her a follow-up call.

MTO states that this and other emails shows that Rihanna verbally abused Chris and she sounds “stalkerish and crazy.”

They go on to say that though they are not condoning the beating she received at Chris Brown’s hands, they do believe that she has not and should take some responsibility for being in an abusive relationship with Chris. From the tone of some of the comments that have been submitted online in response to this story, and general comments that were made shortly after the incident/beating, there are many folks, surprisingly some being young women, who believe that Rihanna’s jealous or aggressive behaviors towards Chris were the cause of her resultant savage beating.

This is not surprising in light of the fact that many abusers feel that their victims intentionally “pushed their buttons,” and provoked a physical attack. What’s even stranger is that the victims often are bamboozled by the abuser into thinking they are at fault for getting beat.

Though I do not endorse MTO’s opinion that Rihanna is crazy or a stalker, I do agree that she should take responsibility for having been in an abusive relationship. It is unclear however as to whether they are intimating the “responsibility” she needs to take is for pushing Chris’ buttons. If that is the case, and by no means am I saying that is what MTO is intending, this would clearly be another case of victimizing the victim, as many have done, and as I suspect many may interpret, especially when she is called crazy and a stalker. Heck, how is a guy to deal with a girl like this but protect himself by any means necessary, even violence?!

I truly believe that if Rihanna and the multitude of women and men who are victims of domestic violence do not take “responsibility” and get therapy to understand the choices they make in abusive mates are often based on growing up in abusive families and or having poor self esteem , then they are often doomed to stay in that abusive relationship, or get into other abusive relationships in the future. The abusers also need therapy so they can understand that just like Chris, the abuse they suffered as children or witnessed in their own families causes them to act out their emotional trauma and anger against their mates.

Domestic violence is a huge problem and much more prevalent in African American and Latino communities, versus the white community. This cycle of violence will only continue and be perpetrated in higher numbers if we get into the mindset of “blaming or victimizing the victim.”

As Sharon Hinojosa’s home went up in flames, she seemed strangely unconcerned that her two young children were trapped inside, neighbors said.

After Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced murder charges against the woman Tuesday, Joe Dickes, one of Hinojosa’s neighbors who tried to save the youngsters during the early Friday blaze, said that behavior began to make sense.

“I’m happy as hell she got charged,” said Dickes, who said Hinojosa didn’t immediately tell neighbors the other two children were still inside.

Hinojosa, 29, faces two counts each of first- and second-degree murder, as well as arson. She faces up to life in prison if convicted on the murder charges. The arson charge is a 20-year felony.

Hinojosa’s attorney, Michael Granzeier, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Worthy wouldn’t spell out a suspected motive or say why investigators believe Hinojosa started the fire, but said the suspect set the blaze and knowingly left 3-year-old Alayna and 4-year-old Anthony inside.

“As a mother, it is extremely distressing to think of innocent children screaming out as their bodies burned in the fire,” Worthy said.

Mom in hospital after charges in fire

Hinojosa set her boyfriend’s mobile home ablaze, grabbed their 1-year-old child and ran out the door — leaving two of her other children behind to die, authorities said.

The children still inside screamed and cried for help. Neighbors tried in vain to reach them. Quickly, they were overcome by the smoke, soot and flames.

That’s the scene described Tuesday by authorities as Worthy announced murder charges against Hinojosa, 29, of Huron Township.

“This should send chills up the spine of every person,” Worthy told reporters. “I can’t imagine the abject horror of the last seconds of their young lives.”

While in police custody, Hinojosa ingested an alcohol substance and was being treated Tuesday at a local hospital, said Worthy, who would not elaborate.

Township Police Chief Gregory Hinzmann declined to say whether the alcohol ingestion was a suicide attempt. “She’s in the hospital; that’s all we can say,” he said.