Weisberg Law Blog

Eight Year Old Arizona Boy Charged With Killing Father And One Other

An eight year old Arizona boy has been charged with two counts of premeditated murder in the deaths of his father, Vincent Romero, and Timothy Romans, a man who rented a room in the family’s house.  Both men were shot in the chest and head at least four times by a single-action .22-caliber hunting rifle; the murderer would have to eject the old shell and put in a new shell each time the rifle was fired.  Vincent Romero was an avid hunter who had taught his son to shoot.

Police say that Mr. Romero was shot while walking up the stairs inside of the house.  Mr. Romans was outside on the phone with his wife.  Mr. Romans’ wife says that he told her the boy was calling out for him.  He was shot on his way into the house.

A judge issued a gag order on the case yesterday.  Before the gag order was issued, police said that trying the boy as an adult was one option, though an unlikely one.  In Arizona, people as young as eight can be charged as an adult for murder.