Albuquerque, New Mexico

From the Albuquerque Tribune of January 4, 2005

Man killed in burglary ID'd

Police say Daniel Romero shot after trying to rob a car, home

Police have identified the man shot to death on the West Side after a burglary attempt.

Elton John Richard, 27, ran after and shot Daniel Romero, 34, on Thursday after he heard Romero breaking into his Ford Bronco and garage, said Detective Jeff Arbogast, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman.

Romero had a criminal record, mostly for driving violations, going back to at least 1987. He was charged with burglary in 1990 in Santa Fe District Court and pleaded guilty to some charges relating to the crime, according to court records.

Richard, a National Nuclear Security Administration employee, was licensed to carry a gun as part of his job, said Al Stotts, an NNSA spokesman.

"He's a federal agent and is part of a group that protects radioactive materials shipments," Stotts said. "In carrying out his duty, he is, of course, armed because we have valuable materials that must be guarded."

His NNSA gun probably wasn't used to shoot Romero because those guns are kept in federal storage facilities while employees are off duty, Stotts said.

Richard served eight years in the Marines and was in Iraq for several months during the U.S. invasion. He returned to Albuquerque in the fall of 2003 to work for NNSA, said Billy Blackburn, Richard's attorney.

Richard has about a dozen medals for his military service, half of which were awarded for his time in Iraq, Blackburn said.

"Whether it was his military training or just a natural reaction to somebody breaking into your home, he reacted," Blackburn said.

Police were dispatched to Richard's house at 8205 Wolverine Drive N.W. late Thursday night on reports of a burglary.

An officer driving to the scene saw Richard in the median of Paseo del Norte just east of Eagle Ranch Road.

"I need help. I need help. They were trying to break into my house," Richard told the officer, according to a criminal complaint.

Richard pointed to where he had last seen the burglar, and the officer found a man dead, the complaint states.

Richard told the officer he had a gun, the complaint states.

Richard was released on $50,000 bond on Monday and will be supervised during his release. He must stay in Albuquerque as part of the release agreement, Blackburn said.

"The burglar went after him first," Blackburn said. "Clearly, based on the information I've received, this is a case of self-defense. The burglar broke into his car and his house - where his 15-month-old son and wife were sleeping - and then tried to get away."

Update:

From the Santa Fe Free New Mexican of January 6, 2005

Woman recalls Romero's kindness, heroism

A Santa Fe man shot to death during an alleged burglary in Albuquerque last week had a criminal past but also was known as a kind and even heroic person.

Daniel Romero, 34, was killed late Dec. 30 after he allegedly broke into a 1993 Ford Bronco parked in the driveway of a house in northwest Albuquerque. The owner of the house -- 27-year-old Elton Richard II -- allegedly caught Romero breaking into the vehicle, fought with him outside the house, chased him for about four blocks and shot him dead with a .38-caliber handgun, police have said.

Richard -- a federal agent charged with safeguarding the transportation of nuclear weapons and materials -- faces an open count of murder.

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