A dispatcher, Cassandra Pena-Romero, 27, was shot at the Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services parking lot in downtown Little Rock on Saturday. Tragically, she succumbed to her injuries on Wednesday, as announced by the agency. Her estranged husband, Omar Pena-Romero, 23, was taken into custody by police near Texarkana, Arkansas, on Saturday night and is currently held without bond at the Pulaski County jail.
Omar Pena-Romero was initially charged with first-degree domestic battery, violation of a no-contact order, and unauthorized use of another person’s property to facilitate a felony. However, upgraded charges are expected to be filed against him in relation to the fatal shooting, according to a Little Rock police spokesman. It remains unclear if Omar Pena-Romero has legal representation. An arraignment for the original charges was scheduled for Thursday.
Cassandra Pena-Romero had filed for divorce from her husband on August 11, following his arrest and charges of rape and assault against her, as per court records. A judge had issued an order for Omar Pena-Romero to stay away from his wife’s home and the Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services about a week prior to the shooting. The couple had been married since October 2019.
Cassandra Pena-Romero had been employed by Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services since 2021, serving the Little Rock area and its surroundings. Omar Pena-Romero had previously worked for the agency but was terminated earlier this month, according to a spokesperson.
The divorce filing revealed that Omar Pena-Romero had voluntarily admitted himself to a hospital psychiatric unit from August 1 to August 6. On August 7, he showed his wife a suicide note he had written and made several threats to physically harm her, as stated in the filing.
Author: Ryan Scott
Just a guy