Inset: Onindas Romelus (Fayette County Sheriff’s Office). Background: A Texas gas station that Oninda Romelus allegedly went to after shooting her four kids (KHOU/YouTube).
A Texas mother accused of gunning down her four children, killing two of them, allegedly told police that “instead of them doing it to me, I’m gonna do it to them,” in reference to murdering the kids. She then claimed they’re with “the devil” now, cops say.
Oninda Romelus, 31, is charged with two counts of murder and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for the Saturday shooting, which unfolded in Brazoria County sometime before 4:45 a.m., according to court documents obtained by Law&Crime.
Police say Romelus, who is from Porter in Montgomery County, allegedly called 911 around this time and told police to meet her at a local gas station in Angleton. Her children — ages 3, 8, 9, and 13 — were in the vehicle when authorities arrived. Deputies from the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office responded to find that Romelus had allegedly killed the youngest and the oldest, while the two middle children survived.
According to the criminal complaint, Romelus was in a white passenger car with the engine running and “all of the doors opened,” per the deputy.
“[The cop] observed the body was positioned with its body hanging halfway out of the front passenger door, with legs in the vehicle and the upper torso and head on the ground,” the complaint says of one of the victims.
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Surveillance footage allegedly shows Romelus pulling into the gas station and pumping gas, with cops saying she purchased $56 worth of fuel.
“Romelus was talking on her phone as she can be seen getting fuel,” the complaint says. “She is observed walking around to the driver’s side of the vehicle, where she peers into the rear window before sitting back in the driver’s seat of the vehicle.”
Once cops arrived, they saw what was allegedly going on and jumped into action, performing lifesaving measures on the children, according to the complaint. “Two of the four children showed no signs of life, and the other two children were life-flighted to Memorial Hermann Hospital Downtown,” the document says.
After receiving her Miranda rights, Romelus began speaking with police while appearing “paranoid about her surroundings.” She was asked why she called 911 and initially stated that she “couldn’t talk about it” before allegedly confessing.
“Instead of them doing it to me, I’m gonna do it to them,” Romelus said, according to the complaint.
“Do what?” a deputy asked.
“Kill them all,” Romelus allegedly replied.
The mother claimed that she didn’t call 911 about what happened to her children, that she had called the “devil,” according to police. She also allegedly “stated that they were with the devil,” and that “they’re dead.”
Romelus added, “Cause you can’t take me without me taking you,” according to the complaint. She allegedly claimed that her children “were dead to her.”
Romelus was arrested and booked on murder charges, with a judge ordering her to be held on a $14 million bond.
“Child Protective Services is investigating this case and making sure that the safety and well-being of the surviving children is our first priority,” said Melissa Lanford, a Texas Department of Family and Protective Services spokesperson, in a statement to local Fox affiliate KRIV. “Ms. Romelus has had contact with CPS on one other occasion. Details of that interaction are confidential but will be included in a public Child Fatality Report when our investigation is complete.”
