- Authorities say Oninda Romelus, 31, shot her four children in Brazoria County, Texas.
- Two children died; the others were airlifted to a Houston hospital.
- Surveillance video shows Romelus calmly fueling her car moments after the killings.
- Police say she told investigators, “Instead of them doing it to me, I'm gonna do it to them.”
- She remains in custody on a $14 million bond as CPS investigates.
ANGLETON, Texas (Townflex News) — A Texas mother is facing murder charges after allegedly shooting her four children early Saturday, killing two of them, before calmly pulling into a gas station, filling her tank, and calling police to meet her there.
Authorities say Oninda Romelus, 31, of Porter in Montgomery County, phoned 911 around 4:45 a.m., directing officers to a gas station in Angleton, Brazoria County, where they discovered a horrifying scene.
When deputies arrived, they found Romelus in a white sedan with its engine running and doors open. Inside were her four children, aged 3, 8, 9, and 13. Two were already dead, the youngest and the oldest while the other two were critically injured.
According to court filings obtained by Law&Crime, a deputy described one child’s body “hanging halfway out of the front passenger door, with legs in the vehicle and the upper torso and head on the ground.”
Surveillance footage from the station reportedly shows Romelus pulling in and calmly pumping $56 worth of fuel, speaking on her phone and glancing into the car windows before taking a seat behind the wheel.
Police Account and Confession
Officers immediately began performing CPR and other lifesaving measures while calling for emergency airlifts. The surviving children were flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital Downtown in Houston.
Romelus, described by investigators as “paranoid about her surroundings,” allegedly confessed after being read her Miranda rights.
“Instead of them doing it to me, I’m gonna do it to them,” she said, according to the complaint. When asked to clarify, she reportedly responded: “Kill them all.”
Investigators say Romelus later told officers she hadn’t called 911 but rather “called the devil,” claiming her children were “with the devil now” and “dead to her.”
She was arrested on two counts of murder and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. A judge ordered her held on a $14 million bond.
Child Protective Services Investigation
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services confirmed that Child Protective Services (CPS) has opened an investigation.
“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 CPS spokesperson.
“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.”
Authorities have not released information about potential motives beyond Romelus’s statements to police. The two surviving children remain hospitalized in critical condition.
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