A Brazos County district court jury convicts a Hempstead of gunfire outside a Bryan tire store in May of 2020.
26 year old Arnoldo Romero was sentenced to 45 years for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. A 20 year sentence for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon will be served at the same time.
A news release from the district attorney’s office says the victim still has physical complications from being shot.
At the time of the shooting, Romero was out on parole following convictions on four counts of aggravated robbery.
Online court records show Romero has pending trials in Brazos County for an armed robbery that took place in June of 2023, engaging in organized criminal activity in January 2023, and felony weapons charges in November 2021 and June 2023.
Online jail records show Romero is being held on Williamson County charges of armed robbery and felony robbery.
News release from the Brazos County district attorney’s office:
On Friday, November 8th, 2024, a jury found guilty of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and was sentenced to 45 years in the prison. The defendant was also sentenced to 20 years in prison for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.
In May of 2020, Arnoldo Romero instigated a fight with an employee of Bryan’s House of Tires. Romero escalated the fight when he pulled out a gun and shot the employee. Romero then fled the scene. At the time Romero was on parole for four counts of Aggravated Robbery.
Brazos County citizens driving down the road, along with individuals at the House of Tires ran to the aid of the victim. Multiple individuals pulled their cars off of Texas Avenue to rush toward the victim and provide life saving aid.
When police and EMS arrived, the victim was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital. The victim underwent immediate surgery. While the surgery saved the victim’s life, he still has physical complications from the shooting that he lives with to this day.
In punishment, the Brazos County District Attorney’s Office presented evidence that the defendant had previously been sentenced to five years in prison for Aggravated Robbery. The jury also heard evidence of Romero’s other pending charges, including two additional Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon charges in 2022 and 2023, Aggravated Robbery, and Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity. Evidence was also presented that Romero was a documented member of the Latin King criminal street gang.
Statement from assistant district attorneys Rachel Porter and Tonika Davis: A Brazos County Jury sent a message to the Defendant and others like him—when you continue to bring crime and violence into our community we will not tolerate that behavior.