Authorities in Texas have charged 31-year-old Oninda Romelus with two counts of capital murder and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
This is after she allegedly shot all four of her children inside a vehicle in Angleton, Texas, early Saturday morning, Oct. 5, 2025.
According to the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to a gas station on Highway 288 after Romelus reportedly contacted law enforcement herself and directed them to the location.
Upon arrival, officers discovered a horrific scene — four children suffering from gunshot wounds inside a parked car.
A 13-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl were pronounced dead at the scene, while two other children — an 8-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl — were airlifted to a Houston hospital, where they remain in stable condition, authorities confirmed.
Investigators believe the shooting took place inside the vehicle, but they have not yet determined whether it occurred at the gas station or before the vehicle arrived there.
Court documents reveal that Romelus made disturbing and incoherent statements following her arrest.
She allegedly told investigators she had been “speaking with the devil” and feared her children were “with the devil.” Officials described her behavior as erratic and delusional, noting that her statements did not appear to align with the facts of the case.
Romelus is currently being held at the Brazoria County Detention Center on a $14 million bond. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has launched a separate investigation into the welfare of the surviving children and the family’s background.
Authorities have not released additional information about a possible motive or whether Romelus had any documented history of mental illness or prior interactions with child protective services.
The Brazoria County District Attorney’s Office has confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and that prosecutors are preparing to pursue the case as a capital murder matter, which in Texas can carry the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole if convicted.
This tragic case has sent shockwaves through the Angleton community, where grief counselors have been made available to local schools. Community members have begun leaving flowers and stuffed animals near the gas station in remembrance of the two children who lost their lives.
