Family members of Sherri Thomas, who was slain in NDG on November 19, tell CTV Montreal that the 19-year-old felt unable to leave her boyfriend Michael Gero, even though she was clearly a victim of abuse.
According to her stepfather, Thomas appeared distracted and preoccupied and spoke of what she was going through when they saw her on her brithday.
“She was biting her nails and kept looking out the window. She told me that he's stalking her. I said: “Who is stalking you?” She said her boyfriend,” said Vincent Isaacs.
Isaacs eventually confronted Gero.
“I said, ‘listen, the kid is scared of you, why do you do this?’ He said, ‘Well she can come live at your house.’”
Thomas’ brother Montel Isaacs also confronted Gero.
“I'm like, ‘Can you not call my sister these names?’ And he's like, ‘You're lucky your brother is here” and stuff.”
However, as is common with many victims of abuse, Thomas could not bring herself to leave Gero, who now faces murder charges.
“She said even if she was to leave, she could never leave because she loves him,” said Thomas’ sister Tanika Issacs.
Michael Gero, 23, and Thomas met about one year prior to her death and moved into an apartment on Grand Boulevard near St. Jacques, which is where she was found dead Tuesday morning.
Gero had a prior criminal record, including for one event in which he acted as a lookout in the brutal robbery of a 65-year-old man in the Ville St. Pierre section of Lachine.
Victims of abuse are urged to use one of the many resources for people suffering from attacks.
“There's SOS Violence Conjugale there's a 24-7 hotline, we at Women Aware have a hotline, we have emergency drop-in, we want to show that there's a next page, there's hope,” said June Mitchell of Women Aware.
