The news of a tragic shooting at a gas station in Brazoria County, Texas, has sent shockwaves across the nation. The case involves 31-year-old Oninda Romelus, a mother of four, who is accused of a crime that resulted in the death of two of her children and serious injury to two others. This article delves into the distressing details revealed in court documents and media reports surrounding the incident and the mother’s alleged statements.
The Incident at Falcon Express
The horrific event unfolded at pump number 2 of the Falcon Express gas station located near Angleton, off Highway 288. According to investigators, Oninda Romelus pulled into the station in her white Audi and called 9-1-1 on a Saturday afternoon.
When sheriff’s deputies quickly arrived at the scene, they found a devastating sight: two of the four children—a 13-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter—were dead from gunshot wounds. Deputies immediately provided life-saving measures to the two other children, an 8-year-old and a 9-year-old, who were later hospitalized and are reportedly recovering. Romelus was placed into handcuffs without resistance.
Disturbing Allegations and Confessions
The most chilling details of the case emerged from Romelus’s alleged statements to investigators. During her interview at the county jail, she reportedly made several disturbing claims that suggested a motive rooted in extreme delusion or malice.
When questioned about her actions, Romelus allegedly stated, “instead of them doing it to me, I’m going to do it to them,” and clarified that her intent was to “killed them all”. Furthermore, when asked why she called 9-1-1, she corrected the officers, claiming she did not call the police, but rather, she “called the devil”. She later told investigators her children “were with the devil”.
Background and Prior History
Court records reveal a complex and troubled past for Oninda Romelus. She had previous legal issues, including closed cases tied to DUI and marijuana possession in Fayette County, Georgia.
The news report from KHOU 11 Houston noted that Child Protective Services (CPS) had previously been called to her home, though the specifics of that case remain unclear.
New Evidence: Identity Theft and Timeline
A search warrant for Romelus’s home in Porter (Montgomery County) uncovered evidence of a separate criminal investigation into identity theft. When detectives searched the home, they found numerous items, including dozens of social security cards, credit cards, and identification cards.
The search warrant affidavit noted that some of the identification cards had Romelus’s photograph but used different names and were in various stages of manufacture. Investigators also seized a Tesla from the driveway to look at its onboard surveillance system.
Investigators used a neighbor’s security camera to establish a timeline, which showed Romelus’s vehicle leaving her Porter home around 2:39 AM Saturday morning. The 9-1-1 call from the Brazoria County gas station came about two hours later.
Following the shooting, Romelus was charged with murder and is currently being held in the Brazoria County jail on an extremely high bond of $14 million.
For more details on the identity theft evidence, you can refer to the KHOU 11 coverage: Investigators find evidence of identity theft at home of mother accused of shooting 4 children.
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