Domestic Violence Ends In Homicide At Buenos Bar In Waukegan

Buenos Bar co-owner/bartender fatally shot by boyfriend as witnesses looked on.

By H. Nelson Goodson

January 3, 2015

Waukegan, Illinois - On Friday, Roberto C. Romero, 23, of Waukegan was charged with 1st-degree homicide in the death of Elpidia Muñoz-García, 33, aka, "Jackelyn Palomar and Natalia Guzmán Guerrero" at Buenos Bar at the 400 block of Franklin Street. A $3,000,000 cash bond was set for Romero and a preliminary court hearing was scheduled for January 28. Romero is facing 20 years to life in prison, if convicted. The Muñoz-García homicide investigation is ongoing, according to investigators.

According to the criminal complaint, police were called to the Buenos Bar around 1:10 a.m. on early Friday after shots were reported. Police found the body of Muñoz-García inside the bar. Some of the patrons say, that Muñoz-García was co-owner of the bar and bartended. She has three Facebook accounts in different names and was originally from Zacatecas, Mexico.

Romero is originally from Santa María Apaxco, Mexico, Mexico and was engaged to Muñoz-García (Natalia), according to his Facebook account.

Witnesses told police that Romero had fatally shot Muñoz-García and had fled the scene. They gave a discription of the vehicle and license plate number to the 911 operator. Romero's parents were at the bar when he shot Muñoz-García at least three times in the face.

According to police, Romero fled the scene and witnesses in the bar were able to provide Waukegan 911 Operators a vehicle description and a license plate. That information was distributed on the Illinois State Police Emergency Radio Network (ISPERN) to other law enforcement agencies. At 1:49 a.m., Officers from the Round Lake Police Department spotted the vehicle and chased Romero back to Waukegan.

At about 2:05 a.m., Romero returned to the 400 block of Franklin Street as multiple law enforcement agencies followed. Officers surrounded Romero's vehicle and took him into custody with no further incident. Police confirmed, that Muñoz-García and Romero were in a relationship and living together, according to relatives of the victim. Muñoz-García's 9-year-old daughter was at the bar when Romero fatally shot her mother. A video surveillance camera inside the bar captured the shooting.
Muñoz-García also has an 11-year-old son.
A handgun was recovered from inside the bar and Muñoz-García was pronounced dead on the scene, according to Waukegan Police Department.

In an unrelated homicide, Waukegan police are investigating the death of Gaylord Davis, 49, whose body found by a pedestrian on a roadway on Saturday around 3:00 a.m. at 9th and Prescott Streets. Police say, Davis showed signs of trauma and are investigating it as a homicide. A preliminary autopsy was performed on Davis, but the results have not been made public due to the ongoing investigation, according to Joe Florip, the Waukegan Police Commander.