On June 28, 2022, 10-year-old Michael Romo Sandoval was found dead alongside his father, Jose Romo Guerra, in a parked gray Honda Civic on the 21000 block of Plummer Street in Chatsworth, Los Angeles. According to the LAPD, the father strangled the child with a zip-tie and then took his own life by placing zip-ties around his own neck. The cause of death was officially determined to be ligature strangulation, and the manner was ruled homicide. Family members had reported the father and son missing earlier that day. The bodies were first discovered by family members inside the vehicle, who removed them before first responders arrived. The child's mother worked on the same street where the bodies were found.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The LA County Medical Examiner report lists the cause of death as "LIGATURE STRANGULATION." The LAPD homicide victim page states: "The suspect strangled victim with a zip-tie." Both sources confirm the child suffered an inflicted injury via strangulation.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Multiple sources reference murder-suicide. The LAPD homicide victim page explicitly states: "The suspect strangled victim with a zip-tie, then took his own life by placing zip-ties around his neck." The NBC article states: "Police believe it was a possible murder-suicide." The CBS article states: "officers disclosed that the two were father and son, and are investigating the incident as a possible murder-suicide."
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
The LAPD homicide victim page states: "The victim is the suspect's son. The suspect strangled victim with a zip-tie, then took his own life by placing zip-ties around his neck." Multiple news articles identify the suspect as the child's father, Jose Romo Guerra. The CBS article states: "Officers responded to a call... they found two dead people, a 10-year-old boy and his father." The Fox LA article confirms: "the pair were father and son."
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the source documents. The CBS article reports that family members arrived at the scene before police and physically removed the bodies from the vehicle: "Bunch of the family members were banging on the cars and screaming. They opened the back doors and started pulling bodies out." The CBS article also states that "Family members reported the boy and his father missing earlier in the day," and that "The mother of the boy works down the street at Air Electro Inc," suggesting the father may have chosen the location deliberately. The LAPD homicide victim page reveals the unusual method: the suspect used zip-ties both to strangle the child and to take his own life.
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