Gabriela Romo (31) bled to death after a sexual assault

[Olivia]

http://mydeathspace.com/article/2008/12/01/Gabriela_Romo_(31)_bled_to_death_after_a_sexual_as sault

I think this may be the Michael Sontoya but the last log in was 28 November so I was not entirely sure

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID =194517196

There was also blood spattering and smears on the walls, which Sontoya had tried to wipe clean, and what police said appeared to be "a piece of human flesh on the floor."

:-o

[sue_vicious]

Holy shit. That's terrible. I think you're right about the link. I looked up the story and compared the photos. He looks like he could be the guy on the left in the MySpace photo.
RIP Gabriela

[nestlequikie]

Wow... That must have been a brutal attack.  It seems so much worse since it was someone she knew.   

There is a website made by her family:  http://www.justice4gaby.com/

Here is Gaby with her 4 children (ages 4-13) last Christmas.  She was a single mother just out of a 15 year relationship with the children's father.



Her obituary is here:  http://www.legacy.com/TwinCities/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=1183050 66

[size=12pt]Gabriela P. Romo [/size]
Loving Mom, Daughter, Sister, Granddaughter & Friend To All Age 31 of the West Side of St. Paul on Sept. 30, 2008. Survived by children, Anastacio, Arianna, Amaya and Lisandra; parents, Jesus & Gloria; 5 siblings and many family & friends. Mass of Christian Burial Monday 11AM at CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE, 401 Concord St. Interment Riverview Cemetery. Visitation Sunday 5-8PM at BRADSHAW, 488 Humboldt at Wabasha and one hour prior to Mass at the church. A memorial fund has been established for Gabriela's children at any Anchor Bank. Memorials may be made in any of her children's names. 488 Humboldt Avenue 651-222-8597

There is a memorial MySpace:  http://www.myspace.com/inlovingmemoryofgabyromo  and a memorial Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=82474750550

[xX_foryou_xx]

A peice of flesh was found on the floor

[deeply shaded]

[quote author=Lexa link=topic=17475.msg1100029#msg1100029 date=1228142887]
A peice of flesh was found on the floor
[/quote]

What a horrible attack this must have been. She had a beautiful family. RIP Gabriela

[sogs]

geeze he knew her since second grade!!! I have friends from that long ago, I cannot even imagine one of them doing something like that!

that is horrible, hell is too good for him.

[vaga]

I don't understand the wiping down of the walls, and her hands.
and then calling police and then claiming your innocence.
this is odd.

rip Gabriela!!  :( 

[nestlequikie]

[quote author=s0ggysh0es link=topic=17475.msg1100185#msg1100185 date=1228158367]
geeze he knew her since second grade!!! I have friends from that long ago, I cannot even imagine one of them doing something like that!

that is horrible, hell is too good for him.
[/quote]


To violate the trust of friendship like that...    there are no words to adequately convey how despicable he is.

RIP Gaby

[Tarren]

According to Torres, Sontoya is a youth football coach and has had the same employer for five years. Torres has defended him the past, and said that he was surprised to hear the police allegations because "this would not be consistent with the person that I know."

According to court records, Sontoya has been arrested in the past for domestic assault, as well as twice for assault with a dangerous weapon, but the domestic assault charges were dropped and he was acquitted of the other assault charges.

Looks like he's got away with some violent crimes in the past, but of course I could be wrong and he could be completely innocent of those crimes.

After reading this I'm not convinced of his innocence at all.
How old is second grade? I've got friends, one male whom I've known since I was 5 and cannot imagine the horror she must have felt.

[Mrs. O]

According to court records, Sontoya has been arrested in the past for domestic assault, as well as twice for assault with a dangerous weapon, but the domestic assault charges were dropped and he was acquitted of the other assault charges.  


Torres has defended him the past, and said that he was surprised to hear the police allegations because "this would not be consistent with the person that I know."

I wouldn't even be defending that guy until the judge says "not guilty"



RIP Gaby

[Tarren]

There's a Mike in her friends too, who says he's a "proud father, coach and business owner". I can't tell whether the pics are the same as the one Liv posted. It looks like an old myspace though.

[sogs]

[quote author=Tarren link=topic=17475.msg1100190#msg1100190 date=1228158851]
Looks like he's got away with some violent crimes in the past, but of course I could be wrong and he could be completely innocent of those crimes.

After reading this I'm not convinced of his innocence at all.
How old is second grade? I've got friends, one male whom I've known since I was 5 and cannot imagine the horror she must have felt.


[/quote]


7 ish.

I just cannot get my head past the savagery and doing it to a long time friend ( anyone but esp a childhood friend).... So fucked.

[azkarisma]

There is more to Sontoya's relationship with Gaby than meets the eye.

From the Pioneer Press article at the Justice4Gaby site:

In 2002, Lonnie VandenBosch’s cousin was shot, and Sontoya was charged in the case.

Sontoya had been in a dispute with VandenBosch’s relatives over money owed to Sontoya for drugs, the shooting victim told police, according to a criminal complaint. Torres said the dispute was over another matter, not a drug payment.

Lonnie VandenBosch is the father of Gaby's 4 children.

It now seems very suspicious to me. 

Even though she was friends with Sontoya since childhood, if he was charged in the shooting of her boyfriend's family, why was she hanging around with him at all?

Was he trying to settle an old score?  I wonder if any toxicology was run, if he slipped anything into her drink to get her home with him?

RIP Gaby.

[Tarren]

[quote author=azkarisma link=topic=17475.msg1100255#msg1100255 date=1228162744]
There is more to Sontoya's relationship with Gaby than meets the eye.

From the Pioneer Press article at the Justice4Gaby site:

Lonnie VandenBosch is the father of Gaby's 4 children.

It now seems very suspicious to me. 

Even though she was friends with Sontoya since childhood, if he was charged in the shooting of her boyfriend's family, why was she hanging around with him at all?

Was he trying to settle an old score?

RIP Gaby.
[/quote]

It certainly sheds a differnt light on things, that's for sure. Good find.

[sue_vicious]

[quote author=azkarisma link=topic=17475.msg1100255#msg1100255 date=1228162744]
There is more to Sontoya's relationship with Gaby than meets the eye.

From the Pioneer Press article at the Justice4Gaby site:

Lonnie VandenBosch is the father of Gaby's 4 children.

It now seems very suspicious to me. 

Even though she was friends with Sontoya since childhood, if he was charged in the shooting of her boyfriend's family, why was she hanging around with him at all?

Was he trying to settle an old score?  I wonder if any toxicology was run, if he slipped anything into her drink to get her home with him?

RIP Gaby.
[/quote]
Good find, indeed!
The plot thickens.
I keep thinking about the piece of flesh in the floor. Ug.

[butterflykim]

wow. i am intrigued to read the article. it sounds all sorts of twisted.

rip gabriela. i feel terrible for your children and your family. 

[Deviant Toaster]

Holy shit what an evil man. The motivation does sound like it is linked w/ some kind of revenge on Michael Sontoya's part, possibly getting at or settling a score with the VandenBosch’s. Who knows, whatever the reasoning it was sick and uncalled for.

RIP Gabriela

[sue_vicious]

[quote author=Deviant Toaster link=topic=17475.msg1100639#msg1100639 date=1228180383]
Holy shit what an evil man. The motivation does sound like it is linked w/ some kind of revenge on Michael Sontoya's part, possibly getting at or settling a score with the VandenBosch’s. Who knows, whatever the reasoning it was sick and uncalled for.

RIP Gabriela
[/quote]
Totally!
It's hard to wrap my brain around a sexual assault being SO violent that it would cause organ failure, massive bleeding, and a piece of flesh to be lying on the floor. Makes me ill.

[wannabe07]

[quote author=azkarisma link=topic=17475.msg1100255#msg1100255 date=1228162744]
There is more to Sontoya's relationship with Gaby than meets the eye.

From the Pioneer Press article at the Justice4Gaby site:

Lonnie VandenBosch is the father of Gaby's 4 children.

It now seems very suspicious to me. 

Even though she was friends with Sontoya since childhood, if he was charged in the shooting of her boyfriend's family, why was she hanging around with him at all?

Was he trying to settle an old score?  I wonder if any toxicology was run, if he slipped anything into her drink to get her home with him?

RIP Gaby.
[/quote]

yeah, i just read all the links on the justice4gaby site and oh my gosh, how could he have hurt her that badly during consensual sex that she would have dressed and laid down with him to sleep?? not buying it. if i would have had that rough of sex with someone that there was that much blood and i was injured that badly, i would not have dressed and agreed to stay the night and then got up, undressed and been on the floor. being a woman myself, i just find it hard to believe you could sustain that kind of injury and then stay with the man willingly. i am going with the theory of the guy having a possible score to settle. it just doesnt settle right with me. poor woman and poor kids losing their mother. she really seemed like a wonderful woman.

RIP Gaby,
I really hope you and your family get justice and peace

[FertileMyrtle]

Ugh that story makes me sick to my stomach ... so the guy tried to play it off like they had really rough sex and it was just unfortunate she died?? Uh, ok then.

RIP Gaby and God Bless your beautiful children.

[modifiedgirl]

The medical examiner ruled that Romo bled to death “due to traumatic injuries to her pelvic and abdominal cavity regions due to sexual assault,” the complaint said.

What kind of sick friggin monster would do something like this? This has got to be the worst thing I have seen in a very long time. He had to have drugged her and raped her with a baseball bat. And where does this guy live that no one heard her screams?

I'm waiting to hear about toxicology testing. My moneys on the date rape drug.

[Cherrypie]

That is sick!! where did the piece of flesh come from? and sex so violent she bled to death " injuries to her pelvic and abdominal cavity regions due to sexual assault" 

Her poor family, so sad  :-(

[nestlequikie]

This death is just haunting me...

[size=12pt]NOT SAFE FOR WORK READING! GRAPHIC CONTENT![/size] From the Felony Criminal Complaint & Warrant

http://static.cbslocal.com/station/wcco/news/local/crime/08_1002_crime_santoyamurdercharges.pdf

<SNIP>...Sontoya stated when he and Gaby returned to his house from Fern's Bar they went to the bedroom and undressed each other.  Sontoya said he put two fingers into Gaby's vagina but she pushed them further in and that he put his fist in but only up to the furthest point of his hand.  Sontoya stated that he thinks he had vaginal and anal sex inserting his penis into Gaby.  Sontoya said after one and a half hours of sex they got up and saw blood all over the place...<SNIP>

<SNIP> ...the Ramsey County Medical Examiner reports in the provisional report of the autopsy of Gaby that he observed extensive traumatic injuries to her external genitalia, perineum and anal regions consistent with sexual assault.  His internal examination revealed extensive trauma to the pelvic and abdominal regions.  A large laceration of the vaginal wall that extended as a large gaping perforated wound into the soft tissue of the pelvis before entering the abdominal cavity.  Dr. McGee also observed laceration of the splenic and hepatic capsule of Gaby with scattered subgaleal hemorrhages.  Dr. McGee concluded that Gaby died from exsanguation due to traumatic injuries to her pelvic and abdominal cavity regions due to sexual assault and that the manner of death is a homicide...<SNIP>

Here is a picture of Michael Sontoya:



If he did what he was accused of - he is despicable.   

The community just had a big fundraiser for the children - too bad it can't bring back their mother, no matter how much money they raise.   

http://www.twincities.com/crime/ci_11046384

ETA:  There is no way I can think of that he injured her spleen and liver with just his penis - anybody??

[neenerneener]

[quote author=nestlequikie link=topic=17475.msg1101026#msg1101026 date=1228219129]
This death is just haunting me...

[size=12pt]NOT SAFE FOR WORK READING! GRAPHIC CONTENT![/size] From the Felony Criminal Complaint & Warrant

http://static.cbslocal.com/station/wcco/news/local/crime/08_1002_crime_santoyamurdercharges.pdf

Here is a picture of Michael Sontoya:



If he did what he was accused of - he is despicable.   

The community just had a big fundraiser for the children - too bad it can't bring back their mother, no matter how much money they raise.   

http://www.twincities.com/crime/ci_11046384

ETA:  There is no way I can think of that he injured her spleen and liver with just his penis - anybody??
[/quote]

he had to have inserted a long foreign object into her vagina...and he had to do with with enough force to break through the vaginal wall into the pelvic  and abdominal cavities.  if the foreign object passed through into the abdominal cavity, her spleen and liver could have easily been injured. 

eta: he's a sick fuck.  he should die.

[Cherrypie]

That is just disgusting. That poor girl, can't even imagine what she went through.  Horrible