Thread: UTAH...Millard County deputy shot, killed; SWAT at west SLC

Suspect in deputy's slaying more Utahn than Mexican, family says


Roberto Roman spent his life in Millard County, working on dairies and supporting his family, brothers say.
By Nate Carlisle



Updated: 01/09/2010 06:58:28 AM MST



Roberto Miramontes Roman, who is accused of murdering a sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop, is not an immigrant who happened to be in this town, his family says.

Rather, they say, Roman is a local guy who happened to be born in Mexico.

"We were raised here," said his brother, Freddy Roman.

Freddy Roman, 30, said he feels sorry for the family of Millard County sheriff's Deputy Josie Greathouse Fox. But, during an interview at his family's home in Delta, Freddy Roman and his family remained steadfast in support of his older brother.

"I never saw him kill a jackrabbit," said Roberto Roman's mother, Julianna Roman. "I can't believe he would do something like this."

Fox was shot to death Tuesday morning after she pulled over a car believed to have been driven by Roberto Roman. Following information from Fox's brother, Ryan Greathouse -- who said he was buying drugs from Roman minutes before the shooting -- police tracked Roman to Salt Lake County. He eventually was arrested Wednesday morning after officers found him asleep in a Beaver County shed.

Freddy Roman shared his family's story for about an hour and a half Friday. His parents, who speak less English, answered only a few questions. When asked whether she thinks of Roberto Roman, 37, as more of a Mexican or Utahn, Julianna Roman replied: "Utah."

The Roman family is from Nuevo Casas Grandes, nextdoor to the Mormon settlement of Colonia Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. About 30 years ago, Julianna and her husband, Jacinto Roman, brought their five children to the United States.

The Romans already had family working on the industrial dairies in Millard County and decided to join them, Freddy Roman said. The youngest of the children was just a few years old when the family arrived in Millard County, Freddy said he does not know how his family entered the United States. But he said he and his parents are naturalized citizens.

Roberto Roman is the third child. Freddy Roman said he is too young to remember what life as a Utah transplant was like for his older brother, but he remembers what it was like for him.

"It was hard," he said. "Back then, no one spoke Spanish. There weren't many Hispanics in a town like this. It's hard when you go to school."

The family lived in Fillmore most of the time he was growing up. He said the Latino children played basketball, soccer and baseball, but usually did so only with each other and not in organized leagues.

But Freddy Roman said he has good memories of Millard County, and so does his brother. He remembers his brother taking him sledding and snow tubing. Julianna Roman said she does not remember the schools complaining about Roberto Roman.

Roberto Roman began working on dairies by age 16, his brother said.

"Sometimes, when we had a hard time at Christmas, he would make it happen," Freddy Roman said. "He would go out and get some money, borrow some money or get some work. He had a really big heart."

Court records suggest Roberto Roman had another way of making money. At age 20, he was arrested near the junction of Interstate 15 and Interstate 70 with marijuana. He was convicted in state court of a misdemeanor count of attempting to distribute. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years of probation.

Freddy Roman said he is not sure how his brother got involved with drugs, but suspects it is related to some bad friends he picked up.

Those friends have since "pretty much moved away," Freddy Roman said. "Some went to jail."

Sometime after that arrest, Roberto Roman married a woman from Millard County in the Catholic church in Fillmore. The couple went on to have two children.

Then, in August 1996, Roberto Roman was arrested again on drug charges in Millard County. And while that case was still pending, he and a second man were arrested in Millard County again. In that case, court documents say, Roberto Roman was driving a van with cocaine and a 9mm handgun within his reach. The documents also say deputies found about $2,200 in cash in the pockets of his clothing.

In all, Roberto Roman pleaded guilty to two felonies and received a sentence of one to 15 years in prison. He was released from prison in September 1998 so federal authorities could deport him to Mexico.

Freddy Roman said the deportation saddened his family, and many were crying.

Roberto Roman returned to Nuevo Casas Grandes. His wife and children joined him, Freddy Roman said. There, the marriage ended.

"It's pretty hard living here and being sent to a country [where] you weren't ever raised," Freddy Roman said.

Federal court records show Roberto Roman was deported again in 2005, this time from Arizona. Freddy Roman said his brother was caught trying to re-enter the United States.

But not long after, Freddy Roman said, his brother made it back. Freddy Roman said he does not know how his brother entered, but he called to say he was returning and arrived in Millard County a few days later.

Roberto Roman returned to work at a dairy. For a time, he worked construction jobs in St. George, then returned to Millard County when the housing industry collapsed. He and his children were living at his parents' home.

Freddy Roman said his brother was holding jobs, attending Delta's Catholic church on Sunday and staying out of trouble. His brother must not have been worried about being deported again, Freddy Roman said, because he had his own MySpace page.

Before it was removed, that social-networking page had photographs of Roberto Roman holding various pistols and rifles. Freddy Roman said his brother likes guns, which are illegal for him to possess given his felony convictions, but he never saw him threaten or endanger people with them.

Freddy Roman said the television stations that have displayed the photos have made his brother "look like he's this serial killer. He's not like that."

After Tuesday's shooting, sheriff's deputies arrived at the ranch-style home on an unpaved road in the middle of Delta. They were looking for Roberto Roman, his brother said, searched the house and seized some items.

"I was really scared because I didn't know what was happening," Julianna Roman said.

Freddy Roman said he spoke to his brother Thursday at the Millard County jail. Most of the discussion was about family, Freddy Roman said. Of Fox's killing, Roberto Roman said only that he did not do it, his brother said.

"We're pretty much a family [that doesn't] get in trouble," Freddy Roman said.

Another brother, Mike Roman, arrived at the house carrying a plastic bag of groceries. He was hesitant to speak, but echoed support for his accused brother.

"He's just a guy milking cows," Mike Roman said.

ncarlisle@sltrib.com


http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14152558

I agree, (MOD EDIT). And sue Utah,
And my regards to the sheriffs parents, so sad.

Strike force stops major crime with immigrants' help
Law enforcement » Group's relationship with undocumented community helps stop felony offenders.
By Sheena McFarland



Updated: 01/10/2010 09:23:59 AM MST


Click photo to enlargeKen Wallentine is Chief of Law Enforcement in the... (Leah Hogsten / The Salt Lake Tribune)«1»When Attorney General Mark Shurtleff heard that a Utah law enforcement officer allegedly had been gunned down by an undocumented immigrant, he sent members of his SECURE Strike Force to aid in the manhunt.

The slaying of Millard County sheriff's Deputy Josie Greathouse Fox is the first homicide investigation for the strike force, which focuses on felony crimes committed by undocumented immigrants. But in about two months since six investigators were hired and trained, they have filed 80 cases and assisted the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau in the arrest of 76 people during a gang-busting operation.

"It's gone really well, and it's not just in terms of numbers of arrests and search warrants," said Ken Wallentine, chief of law enforcement for the Utah Attorney General's Office.

The strike force has investigated cases including document mills and noncertified dentists practicing out of their basements.

Many of the tips have come from people in the Latino community, both documented and undocumented.

"We've been out to many church groups and spoken with community leaders. We're not interested in the housekeeper, housemaid or the guy who shovels snow or does your landscaping. We're looking for the ones who are impacting our community through major violent and financial crimes," Wallentine said. "We don't have to go for the low-hanging fruit. We can climb the tree."

The $891,000 in federal stimulus money that allowed the strike force to hire and train its staff came on July 1 -- the same day SB81, Utah's comprehensive immigration reform law, took effect. Many undocumented immigrants looked at SB81 with fear, and initially that worry spread to the strike force.

But meeting with the community and staying true to its word that it won't prosecute undocumented immigrants who report a crime has helped the strike force assuage much of that fear.

"A lot of times, the immigration community is afraid to go to law enforcement because they're afraid that rather than getting assistance, they're going to get deported," said Sabrina Morales, executive director of Comunidades Unidas, which has worked extensively with the strike force. "But the strike force has gained a lot of respect in the community."

Her organization has arranged several forums for strike-force members to answer questions, and the group has referred crimes to the strike force.

"In our mind they're the solution, rather than having a law like SB81. The strike force is something we can all agree on is necessary and really getting at the root problem," Morales said.

The backing of the Latino community has been essential to the success of the team.

"The support we've got from the community and the cooperation we've gotten are the only things that made it work," said Leo Lucey, SECURE Strike Force commander. "We're not cross-deputized, we have no authority to remove anybody, and that's really played to our advantage. We treat undocumented immigrants as we would anybody else: If they're a victim, they're a victim. If they're a witness, they're a witness. Without them, we wouldn't have been able to do anything."

But some say earning the trust of the community has come at too high a price.

Ron Mortensen, co-founder of the Utah Coalition on Illegal Immigration, thinks the strike force is misdirected in going after only the higher-level criminals.

"If you take the petty crime off the street, then the bigger crime stops, too," Mortensen said. "If you arrest people who are using forged documentation, then the false-identity document dealers wouldn't have any clients."

He says if more local law enforcement officers were cross-deputized as immigration agents, maybe Roberto Miramontes Roman, the man charged with shooting and killing Fox, would have been caught and jailed for criminal re-entry into the U.S. after he was already deported twice.

"You can't just keep looking at document mills and the like," Mortensen said. "It's got to be all levels of crime to put a dent in criminal activity."

Eli Cawley, director of the Utah Minuteman Project, though, says he's "very pleased" with the strike force.

"What they're focusing on is exactly what they should be focusing on," Cawley said. "I'm pleased to hear they're proceeding at pace."

Tony Yapias, a community activist who focuses on the rights of undocumented immigrants, has yet to meet with leaders of the law enforcement group, but wants to do so in the near future.

He says he hopes the strike force can continue working toward getting the major criminals out of Utah. He has talked with many Latinos in the state about Fox's murder, and hopes to show the support and sympathy the undocumented community has for her family.

"When an undocumented immigrant is involved in a violent crime, it's really a black eye to our cause," Yapias said. "The idea behind this strike force is to apprehend undocumented immigrants committing crimes. They have my full support in terms of that -- that is an element we don't want in the community, as well."

The strike force has partnered with police agencies across the state, and hopes to continue building trust with Latino community members to help stop felony criminals, Lucey said.

smcfarland@sltrib.com

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14157329

Following the shooting, the search was soon on for Roberto Miramontes Roman, 37. Detectives believe he drove a Cadillac Deville to Nephi where he met another person with an orange Corvette. There, investigators believe he removed the rear license plate from the Cadillac and placed it on the Corvette. The Cadillac was later located in Nephi and was processed by Utah County sheriff's deputies.

I have three comments:

This is very shocking and very sad.

How do these criminals afford to drive these kinds of cars?

I've been to and thru Nephi many several times on the way to ID. This town is like if you blink you miss it. I think there are about two exits for it off the freeway. The people here must be blown away be this tragedy. I hope her family sues the hell out of all who are responsible for this needless death.

Originally Posted by SOSADFORUS

This is unbelieveable, I sent it to all MSM but you think the cowards will report on it? Way to go Utah, sanctuary state, who gives Drivers licenses to illegal aliens....way to go! so much for protecting Americans, this is a disgrace on this state!

IMO, THIS IS A DISGRACE ON EVERY STATE IN THE LOWER 48. ILLEGALS ARE RUINING THIS COUNTRY AS A WHOLE AND THE PEOPLE WHO WE ELECT AND SEND TO WASHINGTON ARE HELPING THEM. WE THE PEOPLE DON'T MATTER TO THIS GOVERNMENT NOW AND WE NEVER WILL. WE PAY THEIR SALARIES AND YET THEY ARE WORKING FOR ILLEGALS.

OBAMA NEEDS TO READ THIS

THESE TWO DESERVE TO FACE THE SAME FATE AS UTAH GAVE TO GARY GILMORE. THERE WAS NO NEED FOR THESE MORONS TO KILL THIS WOMAN, THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO BE DEPORTED, I SAY THEY SHOULD BE TRIED AND GIVEN THE DP AND THEY WON'T BE COMING BACK ACCROSS THE BORDER ANYMORE. ANYTHING LESS THAN THE DP FOR THEM SHOULD BE UNACCEPTABLE. THEY DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE

Helped Need Here! Please join in!!!


http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-184752.html

arrest the family and deport them all back to mexico as well.
dont leave anyone behind.

Freddy Roman said the television stations that have displayed the photos have made his brother "look like he's this serial killer. He's not like that."

Your brother is a MURDERER! This murder would not have hapened if he went back to Mexico and stayed there.