PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Former Berkshire County resident and transgender activist Jahaira DeAlto was murdered Sunday in Boston.
DeAlto, 42, and Fatima Yasin, 27, were reportedly stabbed to death in DeAlto's Dorchester home. Yasin's husband, Marcus Chavis, 34, was arrested in the murders.
DeAlto was a counselor for domestic violence and sexual assault victims, including at the Elizabeth Freeman Center and was most recently Safelink coordinator for Casa Myrna, a shelter and support services provider for domestic abuse survivors in Boston's South End. She spoke frequently on transgender and social justice issues and had been a board member of Berkshire Pride and the Freeman Center's LGBTQIA+ Access Project.
"Jahaira was a loyal friend, a fierce advocate, and a mother to many. Her unconditional love was felt by all who met her and her kind and funny spirit left its mark on the Berkshires — from the classrooms at Berkshire Community College to the offices of Elizabeth Freeman Center, from helping launch the first Transgender Day of Remembrance and Berkshire Pride Festival to 'being all the things,' as she liked to say," Berkshire Pride posted on Facebook.
She was a 2019 graduate of Berkshire Community College and was studying social work at Simmons University. Her advisor and professor at Simmons, Diane Grossman, said she was "exceptionally bright and tremendously committed to social justice issues around trans rights, victims of abuse, and more. She had a charismatic personality and was a magnet for other Simmons students who admired her tremendous experience as a community leader. As a vocal supporter of her peers, Jahaira stood up for issues of equality, justice, and inclusion."
Berkshire Community College Alumni posted a video of DeAlto reciting a poem for the college's 60th anniversary last year. The community had lost a "loving, compassionate, and strong soul. An advocate and activist in our community — someone who made a difference in the lives of our BCC community members and countless others."
Speaking at a protest following the murder of Christa Leigh Steele-Knudslien by her husband in 2018, DeAlto said transgender women of color, like herself, were more at risk for abuse and murder.
"I am 50 times more likely to experience intimate partner violence in my lifetime," she said. "I am 50 times more likely to experience sexual assault in my lifetime, in two weeks, when I turn 39 years old I will be four years past my life expectancy ... the murders of trans people are 80 percent more likely to occur among trans women of color."
The murders of DeAlto and Yasin are under investigation. Yasin's two young children were in the house but unharmed; a dog was also stabbed but is reportedly recovering. Chavis pleaded not guilty in court Monday and is being held without bail.
DeAlto's image on her Facebook page is a note with the statement, "in the end, only kindness matters."
According to reporting by The Boston Globe, Yasin and Chavis and their children were living with DeAlto. This has been corrected in the article. The Globe further reported that Chavis told police he suffered from mental health issues; neighbors told The Globe that DeAlto had been like a mother to Chavis.
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Pittsfield Celebrates Robert 'Bob' Presutti on Arbor Day
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
Bob Presutti, right, is presented the Hebert Award in 2017 for his volunteer efforts at Springside Park. He died in 2023 at age 88.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A tree has been planted next to the Berkshire Athenaeum in honor of local "giant" Robert Presutti.
Officials celebrated Arbor Day on Friday by installing a commemorative plaque next to the American elm sapling. This is a tree that James McGrath, the city's park program manager, said Presutti would have been particularly proud of.
"Today is a day where we yes, celebrate trees, but today is also a day where here in the city we intentionally try to acknowledge the good work of folks in our community who spend their time and their efforts and their talents to make Pittsfield a more beautiful place," he said to a crowd of about 20 people.
"Today we are honoring a longtime community volunteer named Bob Presutti. I'm sure a lot of you here know Bob and know his contributions to the city, not only when it comes to trees and parks but also to the Retired Senior Volunteer Program."
The longtime volunteer passed away last year at the age of 88. He contributed more than 10,600 hours to RSVP and had great impacts on the Parks Department over the years from sharing his knowledge and talents to ensuring that workers were safe when working on trees.
"This morning I went through my emails to see how many emails Bob Presutti sent me since the year 2001 when I started with the city. Bob Presutti sent me 14,000 emails and nearly every single one of those was about trees," McGrath said, prompting laughter and smiles from attendees.
One thread struck him as particularly important because it showed Presutti's empathy when it comes to the safety of city workers while caring for trees.
"There were multiple emails from Bob about the need to get the Parks Department maintenance guys into a program learning about chainsaw safety and learning about ladder safety. He was really into making certain that our city workers were well cared for and had all of the instruction that they needed and in fact, he even offered his own time and services after he became certified to teach our city workers," McGrath said.
Officials celebrated Arbor Day on Friday by installing a commemorative plaque next to the American elm sapling. This is a tree that James McGrath, the city's park program manager, said Presutti would have been particularly proud of.
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Albert Ingegni III was applauded for four decades of service on the Zoning Board of Appeals during City Council. Mayor Peter Marchetti presented him with a certificate of thanks for his commitment to the community.
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Between disagreements about site design and a formal funding process not yet established, more time is needed before a decision can be made.
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The Ordinances and Rules subcommittee on Monday unanimously supported a pay raise for election workers, free downtown parking for veterans, and safeguards to better protect wetlands.
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