Oninda Romelus, of Porter, Texas, has bonds totaling $14 million on two charges of murder and two charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
ANGLETON, Texas — Court documents reveal new details in the investigation of a mother charged with shooting her four children early Saturday morning, killing two of them and injuring two others.
The Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office says Oninda Romelus, 31, is being held on a $14 million bond on two charges of murder and two charges of aggravated assault.
What we know
- On October 4, 2025, Romelus, of Porter, drove to the Oasis gas station on SH 288 in Angleton and called 911. She later told investigators that she didn’t call 911, she “called the devil,” according to court documents.
- Brazoria County deputies rushed to the scene and found four children who’d been shot inside a vehicle. O’Karreo Covington, a 13-year-old boy, died from a gunshot to the head in the front passenger seat. Three-year-old Amourra Chapell died in the backseat. An 8-year-old who’d been shot in the side and arm, and a 6-year-old who’d been shot in the arm, were flown by Life Flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston. Both children have been talking with BCSO investigators.
- Deputies questioned Romelus, who was outside her car, but she wasn’t making sense, according to court documents. They said she appeared alert and aware of her surroundings.
- Investigators say Romelus later made several “incriminating statements” when questioned at the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office.
RELATED: What we know about Oninda Romelus, the Houston-area mother accused of shooting her four children
Court documents: Mother told investigators her children were ‘with the devil’
Court documents say Romelus “appeared paranoid” and kept looking around while being questioned in an interview room.
When asked why she called 911, she stated, “Instead of them doing it to me, I’m gonna do it to them,” according to court documents. When asked what she meant by “do it to them, Romelus replied, “kill them all.” Court documents say Romelus then told the investigator that her children were “with the devil” and “they’re dead,” adding, “cause you can’t take me without me taking you,” and that her children were dead to her.
Surveillance video and a receipt from the gas station show Romelus bought $56 worth of gas while on the phone, according to court documents.
‘We’re doing everything we can’
In Rangercast audio from the shooting scene, a deputy told investigators, “We need multiple, MULTIPLE ambulances.”
They began performing emergency aid to the victims while waiting for Life Flight.
“We’re doing first aid, we’re doing everything we can.”
A woman could be heard screaming in the background as the deputy described the scene to the dispatcher.
“Brazoria County deputies responded to an unthinkable, unimaginable tragedy,” Sheriff Bo Stallman said later at a news conference.
He asked for prayers for the surviving children and first responders.
“It is impossible to make sense of a senseless tragedy like this. But we will do everything we can to seek justice for these children,” the sheriff said.
Neighbors describe life in Porter before the shooting
Sheriff Stallman said Romelus lives in Porter in Montgomery County, over 60 miles away from the Angleton gas station. BCSO investigators searched her home for about 12 hours over the weekend with help from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. He did not say what, if anything, was found there, citing the ongoing investigation.
Records from Georgia, where Romelus lived previously, show only a 2024 DUI. She pleaded guilty after officers stopped her and found a small amount of marijuana in her vehicle.
Neighbors in Porter told KHOU 11 they were shocked to learn Romelus is accused of shooting her own children. They said she had only lived in the area for a few months and many had never interacted with her.
One neighbor, who did not want to be identified, said a couple of Romelus’ children would often walk by her home.
“He always waves, and we tell him hi, and they come back by, and I have a little Yorkie, and sometimes she’ll stop and ask if she can pet the puppy, and so she’ll come up and pet the puppy and stuff,” the neighbor said. “Seeing them Friday, they were happy, and on their way telling us hi and bye, and figuring I would see them again Monday afternoon.”
The neighbor said she never saw any red flags.
“They looked like just happy kiddos. Nothing out of the ordinary at all,” she said. “Just heartbreaking to think that anything could be so bad that you have to take your children’s life. I don’t understand.”
She added that her heart goes out to the two surviving children.
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