HAINES CITY, Fla. – A Honduran man shot off his own finger during a murder attempt over the weekend, according to the Haines City Police Department.
In a release, police said that the incident happened on Sunday around 5:45 p.m. near Tennessee Street within city limits.
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At the time, dispatchers received a 911 call from a local homeowner who claimed that someone had been shot at his/her property.
As a result, officers responded to the home, where they found a 42-year-old man who had suffered several gunshot wounds to his upper torso, the release shows. He was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, though he’s expected to recover.
However, police announced on Monday that the investigation points toward 40-year-old Jervin Romero as the shooting suspect.
According to investigators, Romero and his former partner of over 20 years had been going through a “difficult separation,” and during the separation, Romero had been sending messages to her that threatened “violence and death.”
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And on Sunday, Romero informed the ex-partner that he was coming to her home, investigators added.
Police said Romero knocked on the front door that evening, but after the occupants refused to answer the door, he instead walked behind the house, removed a screen and came in through a window.
“Once inside, Mendieta Romero confronted the residents inside, his ex-domestic partner and her new boyfriend,” the release reads. “A verbal altercation ensued between Mendieta Romero and his ex-partner’s new boyfriend, at which point Mendieta Romero pulled out a firearm and shot the male victim multiple times.”
In all, police explained that Romero had shot the boyfriend five times, striking his hand, chest, shoulder and grazing his head. But while doing so, Romero managed to shoot off his own ring finger, police added.
“This caused (Romero) to drop the firearm and flee the residence on foot, leaving his vehicle behind,” the release continues.
Law enforcement officers were ultimately able to find and capture Romero behind some trees within a mile of where the shooting happened, and he was taken into custody, according to the police department.
Now, Romero faces charges of attempted first-degree murder, armed burglary with assault or battery, written threats to kill or injure, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and resisting an officer without violence.
In addition, police said they discovered that Romero was a Honduran national who is in the country illegally, and he’d already been trespassed from the property back in November and told not to return.
Detectives also noted that there were no documented reports to police about the threats made by Romero toward his ex-partner and her boyfriend.
“Reporting threats, especially in domestic situations, is crucial to preventing violence and saving lives. Often, the warning signs are there, but they go unreported out of fear, denial, or uncertainty,” Police Chief Greg Goreck stated. “We urge everyone to take threats seriously and to trust that by coming forward, you’re helping protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community. We are very grateful that this situation wasn’t worse and that everyone is going to be OK. This is a reminder of how important it is to act quickly and decisively to prevent potential tragedies.”
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