CHICAGO — The man accused of killing his brother and his sister-in-law in their home and then trying to kill another victim inside a nearby tavern was on felony pretrial release for a narcotics charge at the time of the attacks, according to court records.
He is the third person accused of killing or trying to kill someone in Chicago this year while on felony pretrial release. The cases involved 13 victims.
Chicago police officers arrested Richard Romo, 57, during a traffic stop in Little Village on March 2. He was given a court date to appear on the narcotics charge and walked out of the police station less than four hours later, CPD records show.
Exactly three weeks after that, on Sunday, March 23, Chicago cops arrested Romo again on much more serious charges: murder.
The first sign of trouble was a 911 call around 9:39 p.m. from a man who reported that a relative had shot his wife inside the apartment, and he believed his wife had struck the assailant with a hammer.
Officers responded quickly but did not see any signs of trouble, so they “coded out” the call, meaning no report was filed.
Minutes later, Romo allegedly threatened a doorman at Just One More Bar, 5332 South Kedzie. The bouncer ran inside to warn other patrons that Romo had a knife and gun, but Romo managed to get inside, officials said. He allegedly stabbed a 44-year-old woman inside a restroom, leaving her badly injured. She is expected to survive.
Officers arrived quickly enough to hear gunfire emanating from inside the bar. They arrested Romo, but only after subduing him with a Taser, according to a preliminary report.
Cops who returned to the home that generated the earlier 911 call found Romo’s brother, Richard, 63, and 64-year-old Rita Chavez mortally wounded. Both had been shot and stabbed, according to the medical examiner. Police also found a hammer inside the apartment.
On Wednesday, prosecutors said they believe the first 911 call that police received was from Richard Romo, who had not yet been injured.
Romo could not attend his detention hearing on Wednesday, so a judge rescheduled the matter for a future date. Illinois law prohibits judges from considering detention petitions unless the defendant is physically present in court. Romo will remain in custody until that hearing.
He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and other felonies.
The “not horrible” series
This report continues our coverage of individuals accused of killing, shooting, or trying to kill or shoot others on pretrial release for a felony allegation. CWBChicago began our series of reports in November 2019 after Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans publicly stated, “We haven’t had any horrible incidents occur” under the court’s bond reform initiative.
The actual number of murders and shootings committed by people awaiting trial for felony allegations is undoubtedly much higher than the numbers seen here. Since 2017, CPD has brought charges in less than 5% of non-fatal shootings and 33% of murders, according to the city’s data.
Previous reporting
2025 “not horrible” cases
2024 “not horrible” cases
2023 “not horrible” cases
2022 “not horrible” cases
2021 “not horrible” cases
2020 “not horrible” cases
2019 “not horrible” cases
