Court records released this week reveal grisly new details in the case of a mother accused of shooting four of her children, killing two of them. Authorities say Oninda Romelus was found with multiple firearms when deputies arrived at a gas station in Angleton on October 4.
Investigators say Romelus called 911 at about 4:45 a.m. and asked officers to come to her location. Video obtained by police shows her driving up to a pump, stepping out of the car, and speaking on her phone while fueling. When deputies approached, she backed away from the vehicle and initially did not respond.
Deputies then detained her and found the children inside the car with gunshot wounds. Two of the children, a 13-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl, died from their injuries. An 8-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl were critically injured and airlifted to a Houston area hospital, where they are expected to recover.
Court documents also say officials went to the family home in Porter after learning the oldest child, a 17-year-old, was unaccounted for and was not in the vehicle. Deputies breached the home to check on the teenager, but did not find the child. FOX 26 said it reached out to the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office to confirm whether the 17-year-old has since been located.
Search warrants turned up evidence that raised separate concerns. Investigators found a large number of Social Security cards, identification cards, credit cards, blank checks, and mail addressed to multiple names. Items catalogued in court documents included dozens of social security and identification cards, multiple credit cards, stacks of blank checks, U S Treasury checks, several printers, and miscellaneous paperwork.
Authorities say the haul suggested potential identity theft or fraud investigations may follow. During an interview at the sheriff’s office, Romelus was described as incoherent at times. Court records say she told an investigator she could not talk about why she had called 911, and then allegedly said, “Instead of them doing it to me, I’m gonna do it to them.” When pressed on what she meant, she reportedly said, “kill them all.”
The records say she later told officers she had called the “devil,” said she was ready to work, and responded “Uhm” when asked basic questions. When asked if she had children, she named her four and their ages, and when asked where they were, she said, “They’re dead.” She added, “cause you can’t take me without me taking you.”
Romelus was taken into custody, and the investigation remains active. Authorities completed an initial murder related warrant for the family home and said further inquiries into the documents and items recovered are ongoing. Community members and officials are waiting for more information as prosecutors review the case.