Serial Home Invader Gets Life In Prison
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McKINNEY (CBSDFW.COM) – Edwin Romero, 33, of Plano, was sentenced to life in prison for aggravated robbery and burglary of a habitation.
"We have no tolerance for that kind of criminal conduct and like to bring that to an end," said Bill Dobiyanski, Collin County 1st Asst. District Attorney. "Sentences like this with life sentences for aggravated robbery and for burglary of a habitation might tend to help that."
According to the Collin County Criminal District Attorney's Office, on March 17, 2015, a woman came home and was immediately confronted by Romero inside her home.
Romero held her at gunpoint, demanded cash and gold, and told her not to look at him. He ransacked the master bedroom, bathroom and closet, then locked the victim in the closet and left the home.
On April 1, 2015, Romero broke into another home in Plano through a window in the back of the home, occupied by a mother and her baby. He forced them into a bathroom and ransacked the master bedroom and closet. Romero took her jewelry and left.
Plano crime scene officers recovered a shoe imprint on the screen that had been removed from the broken window. A neighbor's surveillance video showed a gold Honda CRV in front of the home. The driver knocked on the front door, and when there was no answer, drove around to the alley. Video also showed a person wearing dark clothing walking quickly from the alley into the backyard. Police used the license tag to locate the vehicle and begin surveillance on the CRV and Honda Odyssey associated with the same person.
On April 2, 2015, Romero broke into a Frisco home. He held a screw driver to his victim's neck and threatened to kill her while forcibly taking off her gold wedding ring. She positively identified Romero in a line-up.
The Plano Intelligence Unit tracked the Odyssey driving through residential streets and alleys in Garland, Richardson, and Plano. During a traffic stop 11 days later, Romero ran from the police, who found a grey hooded sweatshirt and gloves in the Odyssey. A search of Romero's home recovered a glass breaking tool, jewelry, cash, and shoes matching the type and size of the imprint left on the window screen. Romero's cell phone records also placed him at the time and locations of the break-ins.
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