CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — A Cherokee County man is behind bars after being convicted of what prosecutors have called a “cycle of violence” against his girlfriend.
Raphael Fraga, 40, was convicted of family violence aggravated assault, cruelty to children in the first degree, false imprisonment and more earlier this month. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison with the first 15 to serve.
According to prosecutors, the charges stem from a string of domestic abuse incidents in late 2020 and early 2021.
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District Attorney Shannon Wallace’s office says police were called to Fraga’s home three times in a one-month period.
On December 18, 2020, Cherokee County sheriff’s deputies were called to his home after Fraga made a suicide threat at his Woodstock home.
Fraga’s girlfriend told deputies that he lit a notebook on fire and tossed it on her when she was lying in bed. She says he then sent her some angry texts, put a belt around his neck, walked into the closet and closed the door. A teenager in the home saw the incident and called 911.
He was charged with aggravated assault under the Family Violence Act, cruelty to children in the first degree, cruelty to children in the third degree, and harassing communications.
On December 27, 2020, deputies responded again. This time, investigators learned that Fraga had taken his girlfriend’s cell phone while she was sleeping and hidden it in the refrigerator. She says he then grabbed her and pulled her down the stairs. When her child returned home and found her mother, she called 911.
Fraga was charged with false imprisonment and criminal trespass. He bonded out of jail on December 30, but was ordered not to contact his girlfriend or her daughter.
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On January 14, 2021, Fraga broke the agreement of his bond by going to his girlfriend’s home. Within hours, deputies and Woodstock police were at the home. She told authorities that Fraga had become angry with her, slapped her and strangled her.
Fraga was found hiding in his neighbor’s attic. After a short standoff, he was taken into custody.
“In many cases of domestic violence, including this one, victims of abuse are silenced by their abusers. Intimidation, fear, and isolation make them afraid to escape the cycle of violence,” said prosecutor Damion Overstreet.
The woman told police that she feared that if she tried to leave, he would follow through on threats to kill her.
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When Fraga is released from prison, he will be required to undergo mental health evaluation and treatment, complete a family violence intervention program and have no contact with the victims.
“This sentence ensures that the woman abused by this defendant has the opportunity to heal from the physical and emotional abuse she suffered. She is no longer trapped, no longer under his control, and no longer helpless. Her pleas for help have been answered,” said Wallace. “And this cycle of violence has ended.”
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