Claudia Cerda is a prevention counselor at the Friendship of Women in Brownsville.
Each year, the organization deals with hundreds of cases of domestic violence - most often between a man and a woman.
However, when Cerda heard of the case of 25-year-old Alvaro Rodriguez allegedly murdering his father, 56-year-old Armando Rodriguez, she was shocked.
"It was shocking - it impacted the community (and) it affects us all," Cerda said. "People don’t think it's going to happen - you know, (that a loved one) is capable of doing that. But never take threats lightly (and) always take action right away."
Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio said Tuesday that preliminary autopsy results show the man died of blunt force trauma to the head.
Rodriguez was also stabbed and run over, Lucio added.
Court documents reveal it was the tragic end to a day-long fight, apparently over a locked door.
Cerda said even a parent’s love for their children should not cloud their judgment when a situation turns dangerous.
"They don’t want to hurt their children,” Cerda said. “But if it has come to this point, where this person is being very aggressive or this person has mental issues, you need to make sure this person is taking their medication or if not that you’re extra careful because this person is capable of those violent episodes."
Cerda said if a situation with a family member escalates, the best option is always to walk away and call authorities. Cerda said the secondary victim - which in this recent case is the mother and wife - will be the one most affected.
“It's going to be hard for the mother,” Cerda said. “She lost her husband -she loved her husband. Her son (allegedly) killed the father and he's going to be locked up - it's painful for her."
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