The Odessa Police Department and Ector County Sheriff’s Office have the ability to defuse a domestic violence situation quickly.
Even if the person assaulted doesn’t want to press charges against their significant other or family member, OPD and ECSO can pursue criminal charges.
OPD spokesperson Cpl. Steve LeSueur said over the phone Thursday those steps can be taken, the arrest can still be made and at that point the victim becomes the state of Texas.
"If we respond to a family violence situation and the victim doesn’t want to file charges, we can still file charges if we believe that the violence will continue," LeSueur said.
Ector County Sheriff Mike Griffis said during a phone interview Thursday the sheriff’s office often pursues charges when the victim chooses not to. He said family violence is a real thing and it happens far too often. Griffis said it doesn’t just affect the victim, but it can affect the entire family.
“I’ve told many ladies on these types of calls myself that this isn’t love,” Griffis said. “Love doesn’t hurt. Love is supposed to feel good. Some of these ladies have been in these situations for so long it’s all they are used to and it’s hard to break that cycle.”
Ector County District Attorney Bobby Bland said it’s not uncommon for domestic violence victims to be uncooperative during the investigation. He said despite victims being uncooperative the district attorney’s office can still get a conviction.
Bland said one of the main ways the district attorney’s office has halted domestic violence victims from changing their stories was a grant that purchased hand-held cameras to OPD to videotape the victim’s story after the assault took place.
“We’ve taken steps to shore up these cases,” Bland said. “In the end, we have to do the best we can with the evidence that we have. Sometimes what you’ll have is the victim doesn’t want us to go forward and they actively work against us and they don’t cooperate. Often times after we’ve gone through the case and they appreciate the fact that we went forward and took action even though they didn’t want us to.”
ECSO recently pursued charges on 24-year-old Julian Romero after he reportedly assaulted his 21-year-old girlfriend, who didn’t wish to press charges, an ECSO affidavit detailed.
Romero was arrested and charged on June 15 with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a first-degree felony, after he reportedly cut his girlfriend in the finger with a steak knife.
The reported assault happened at 7:39 a.m. in the 9500 block of Grissom Avenue, the affidavit stated.
Romero’s girlfriend stated she and Romero got into a verbal argument that turned physical, the affidavit detailed. The girlfriend was cut on her right pointer finger from an item described as a "steak knife."
The girlfriend was reportedly transported to Medical Center Hospital.
The girlfriend didn’t wish to pursue charges, but the responding ECSO deputy did want to pursue charges due to the severity of the incident and injury, the affidavit stated.
Romero was transported to the Ector County Law Enforcement Center. He has one bond totaling $20,000 and was still in custody as of Thursday afternoon, jail records show. He also has a parole violation that was issued by the state on Tuesday.
