January 27, 2010

STEVEN ROMERO APPEARS IN COURT FOR INITIAL APPEARANCE

DENVER – Steven Romero appeared in U.S. District Court in Grand Junction this afternoon where he was advised of the charges pending against him.  Romero is charged with aggravated animal cruelty.  Romero’s sister, Melissa Marie Lockhart, has an arrest warrant pending, and has not yet appeared in court.  She is charged with concealing the felony crime allegedly committed by Romero.  She is actively being sought by law enforcement.  The hearing this afternoon was handled by U.S. Magistrate Judge Laird T. Milburn.  Further proceedings will be scheduled by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Lewis T. Babcock, who was assigned to handle the case.

According to the indictment, between December 29 and December 30, 2009, Romero did knowingly torture, needlessly mutilate, and needlessly kill an animal, known as “Buddy the Dog,” by dragging the dog behind a vehicle at the Colorado National Monument.  The defendant allegedly tied a rope around the bumper of a vehicle on one end and a rope around the dog’s neck on the other end, driving and dragging him until the dog was dead.  Between December 30 and December 31, 2009, Lockhart had knowledge that a felony crime, namely aggravated animal cruelty, was committed by Romero.  Further, the indictment alleges that Lockhart concealed the crime by making false statements to law enforcement, and that she did not make the crime known to a judge or another person in authority.  Steven Clay Romero is charged with one count of aggravated animal cruelty.  If convicted he faces not more than 3 years in federal prison, and up to a $100,000 fine, or both.  Melissa Marie Lockhart is charged with misprision of a felony.  If convicted she faces not more than 3 years in federal prison, and up to a $250,000 fine, or both.  Lockhart also faces state charges of dog theft in Delta, Colorado. 

The case was investigated by The National Park Service, which is a division of the Department of Interior, the Delta Police Department, the Fruita Police Department, the Grand Junction Police Department, the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.  Romero and Lockhart are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Heldmyer. 

These charges are only allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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