Romero jailed after hitting his girlfriend in the face
Tired of constant fighting and bickering, Judge Larry Ross threw the book at the abuser and warned his victim she better stay away from him or face jail herself.
The abusive boyfriend, Jesus Romero, 29, was ordered to serve six months of an 11-month, 29-day sentence and is to have no future contact with victim Tabitha Gonzalez.
His sentence comes after he entered a guilty plea Tuesday to the charge of domestic assault. The warrant against Romero revealed he hit his girlfriend in the face with his fist five or six times and then threatened to kill her and her children if she reported the assault to police. The victim said she delayed reporting him because she believed he would follow through with his homicidal threat.
Ross, who has heard cases between the two in the past, told Gonzalez that enough is enough after he heard she may have violated her order of protection herself by contacting Romero against court order. Ross pointed out Romero has assaulted her twice in the past and questioned why she would keep returning.
Gonzalez countered that she was ‘through’ with Romero and that she planned to never see him again after her latest beating at his hands. Ross sternly warned Romero that any contact of any kind with his former girlfriend would bring down the ire of the court and would land him in jail for a year.
‘Unless you like being in jail, I’d advise you never to go around this woman again,’ Ross said.
Ross also admonished the victim saying she could find herself behind bars since restraining orders work both ways.
‘You stay away from this man or so help me, I will find you in contempt of court,’ Ross warned.