Donna Alexander, the woman who founded the Anger Room — a facility that allows people to break things as a way to relieve stress in Dallas, Texas — died after she was allegedly beaten by her ex boyfriend.
via People:
On Sept. 21, Alexander, who has spent a good portion of her life advocating against domestic violence, was allegedly beaten by her estranged boyfriend Nathaniel Mitchell, according to Fox 4.
Alexander was attacked at her home in Grand Prairie and was rushed to Baylor University Medical Center with severe head injuries, Grand Prairie Police said according to Dallas News.
On Sept. 24, Alexander succumbed to her injuries after being taken off life support. She was 34-years-old.
Mitchell, who accompanied Alexander to the hospital was arrested and was initially charged with aggravated assault, the Associated Press reported. However, after Alexander died he was charged with murder and is currently being held in jail without bond. It is not clear at this time if he’s entered a plea or has retained legal counsel.
Alexander is survived by her son and daughter. She created Anger Room in 2008 in hopes of “providing an alternative to seeing a ‘head doctor’ or talking it out when you’re having a bad day.”
“The Anger Room facility is a place where you can let your hair down, gear up and destroy real-life mocked rooms that simulate an actual workplace, living area or kitchen— complete with glass, mannequins, TVs, tables and many, many more breakable items,” the website explains.
“It might sound crazy at first, but we assure you once you’ve tried this method of stress relief, nothing else will compare!”
Before her death, Alexander had plans of expanding Anger Room to Richardson, Texas and Oak Grove, Kentucky.
She was well-known in the Dallas area and was even featured on the Sept. 19 episode of Real Housewives of Dallas when cast member LeeAnne Lockeninvited the ladies to her facility to release tension.
D’Andra Simmons, a housewife on the Bravo series, opened up about her death to Fox 4 saying Alexander was “such a good soul and a nice person.”
“You remember people like that in your life. When I found out what happened to her I had no idea, which is quite often the story,” D’Andra, who has been married to husband Jeremy Lock since 2014, told the news outlet.
She even went on to say she too has suffered from domestic abuse and hopes that Alexander’s life raises awareness on the issue.
Simmons said 10 years ago, her ex-boyfriend “pulled out a lot of my hair, he broke my fingers, he fractured my skull, I had internal bleeding.”
“Get the counseling and get the encouragement to be able to leave because I promise you, I was there. I wish I had talked to somebody a long time before I did. If I had, I would have been out a lot earlier. Luckily I didn’t lose my life, but Donna did, and don’t let her death be for nothing,” Simmons told Fox 4.
A vigil is planned for Alexander on Monday in Cole Park in Dallas.
So sad.
