Hung Jury In Child Abuse Trial

After seven days, more than 100 exhibits, 10 prosecution witnesses and four defense witnesses, the Kimball County jury of two women and 10 men could not agree on the fate of Alexander Romero.

Romero was accused of intentional child abuse resulting in death of his daughter, 7-month-old Aaliyah. The jury began deliberating on Monday at 6:03 p.m., continued to deliberate until 10:30 that evening, and returned Tuesday morning to continue.

After a lunch break, the jurors returned to the jury room and finally, around 2:30, they contacted the judge. At 2:45, they returned to the courtroom. Judge Derek Weimer stated that it appeared the jury had reached an impasse.

Weimer visited with the jury foreman, asking if each of the jurors had the opportunity to state their opinion and discuss the case. The foreman said they had, and Weimer asked if a decision could be reached if they continued to deliberate. The foreman said no. Weimer declared a mistrial.

The exhausted and emotionally drained jury members received and thanks from Judge Weimer for their work on behalf of Kimball County. The judge said he appreciated the time they spent trying to come to a conclusion.

Romero will be re-tried with a new motion date set for April 7 to plan for the trial. According to the judge, it would appear the re-trial would be scheduled in June or July. A number of law enforcement officers, investigators, doctors, a forensic pathologist and expert witnesses will have to be scheduled for the re-trial.

The climax of the six day trial was Thursday afternoon, when the defendant, Romero, testified. The 24-year-old Romero was poised and well spoken on the witness stand.

Cheyenne had been his home until he moved to Pine Bluffs with his girlfriend and the mother of the child in 2017. He then moved to Kimball in 2018 and he worked at L.B. Foster and GRI.

Romero stressed how much he loved his child and how he enjoyed watching her. Usually Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays were the times he had the child in his care.

He not only explained his version of the events that occurred that dreadful Sunday evening, March 31, 2019, but he also demonstrated for the jury the alleged trip and fall which, according to Romero, caused the injuries. After demonstrating with a doll how he held the baby, he then demonstrated how he tripped over some shoes and fell onto the small child.

Romero then was asked by the defense attorney to sketch the scene out on a sheet of paper. After that incident, Romero said he placed the child on a futon and she then fell off it onto the floor.

The baby was taken to Kimball Health Services and then flown to Children's Hospital in Denver. She was placed on life support there and finally succumbed to her injuries on April 3.

Romero continues to be held in the Kimball County jail with a $50,000 bond.