Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Mom of 4 Strangled In Front of 5-Year-Old | Crime Alert 04.03.25

Episode Date: April 3, 2025

Boyfriend strangles mom of four in front of their 5-year-old son. Houston Evidence locker has an infestation! For more crime and justice news go to crimeonline.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to an iHeart Podcast. Crime Alert, I'm Nancy Grace. Breaking crime news now. Police in South Brunswick, New Jersey, respond to a call about an unresponsive woman at home on Route 27. Inside, they find Lauren Saldana, 38, dead. Ex-boyfriend, 41-year-old Roman Romanovski,

is there along with their five-year-old son. He admits to strangling Saldana in front of her four children. The Middlesex medical examiner has yet to release an official cause of death. Police confirm it's no random act. Nancy, Lauren Saldana had just welcomed her fourth child into the world. She shared one other child with Romanovski and had two more children from previous relationships. A GoFundMe has been set up to assist the 19-16 five-year-old and newborn after the loss of their mother. Saldana's five-year-old reportedly witnessed the murder, a trauma no child should endure. Saldana's oldest daughter, Madison, says her mother's relationship

with Romanovski was volatile and unhealthy, but Saldana always returned after a breakup because she wanted to see her son. Madison is now seeking custody of her three younger siblings. Romanovski, now charged with murder one, two counts child endangerment. Rats invade the Houston Police Evidence Room, eating seized drugs, jeopardizing nearly 4,000 cases. The infestation, first discovered in October, reveals longstanding issues in a facility which stores 1.2 million pieces of evidence, some dating back decades. Rodents eating weed, coke, mushrooms. Efforts to remove the doped up rats have been challenging. Only one active case involving mushrooms appears impacted, but to prevent future contamination, evidence from active cases will be moved to the Houston

Forensic Science Center. More crime and justice news after this. Now with the latest crime and justice breaking news, Crime Online's John Limley. Two teenage brothers have been sentenced to 20 years in prison for their roles in a drive-by shooting that killed a five-year-old girl in Albuquerque. The shooting, part of a surge in violence, in 2023 led New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to declare a public health emergency, temporarily restricting guns in public parks and playgrounds. Authorities say Galileo Samaniego was sleeping in a mobile home when the teens, driving stolen vehicles

opened fire targeting another teenager inside. The shot struck Galilea in the head. She died at a hospital. The brothers, ages 15 and 19 at the time, were among five defendants who reached plea agreements. Prosecutors in Bernalillo County say another suspect received 16 years while two others received lesser sentences. Despite the crackdown on crime, Albuquerque continues to see deadly violence involving juveniles leaving communities on edge. Hawaii's correctional system is under scrutiny as the state addresses concerns over inmate mental health services and

staffing shortages. Our Sydney Sumner has more on the steps being taken. Hawaii has agreed to permit two national experts to inspect its prisons and jails to assess inmate mental health services. This initiative is part of efforts to resolve a 2019 federal lawsuit concerning prisoner suicides. The experts will develop a plan to enhance the state's correctional mental health system, which currently faces significant staffing shortages. Tommy Johnson, director of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, reports that 20 of 23 psychologist positions are vacant, with one filled by an unlicensed provider. In 2024, there were five

suspected or confirmed inmate suicides, the highest since 2016. Nationally, 41 percent of prisoners have a history of mental health issues. Attorney Eric Seitz, who filed the lawsuit, alleges that the state subjects inmates with serious mental illnesses to extreme isolation with minimal treatment. He emphasizes the urgent need for adequate mental health services in Hawaii's correctional facilities. The experts, Dr. Bouchon Agarkar of Atlanta and Dr. Jeffrey Mentzner of Denver are expected to arrive in Hawaii in June to begin their assessment. The state is taking these steps to address critical mental health issues within its correctional system

aiming for comprehensive reforms in the near future. Thanks, John. 17-year-old Paige Summer Moore, known as Penny, vanishes from her broken-era Oklahoma home. Paige, last seen at home in the early morning hours wearing pink polka dot boxer shorts, a gray Goo Goo Dolls shirt with long black sleeves and red house slippers. She leaves with a few belongings, including her phone, but never shows up for summer school class. The missing 17-year-old, initially classified as a eyes, pink dyed hair, multiple piercings. Page, now 29, remains missing despite extensive investigations. If you have info, please contact Broken Arrow PD, 918-259-8400. For the latest crime and justice news, go to crimeonline.com.

And please join us for our daily podcast, Crime Stories, where we do our best, with your help, to find missing people, especially children, and solve unsolved homicides. With this crime alert, I'm Nancy Grace. You're listening to an iHeart Podcast.