A mother who previously brought her familial disputes to a televised courtroom is facing serious charges after allegedly shooting four of her children, resulting in the deaths of two. Court documents indicate that she claimed to be “with the devil” during her interactions with police.
Oninda Romels, known for her appearance on “Lauren Lake Father and Son Tribunal,” made a 911 call from a gas station near Houston early Saturday morning. When officers arrived, they found four children shot inside a vehicle, according to the documents.
Tragically, her 13-year-old son, Okaleo Covington, and her 3-year-old daughter, Amora Chappell, were declared dead at the scene. The other two children, 8-year-old Kylie Romels and 9-year-old Traviel Downer, were airlifted to a Houston hospital where they are recovering, as reported by the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office.
Romels, aged 31, was arrested and appeared disoriented and paranoid during questioning by investigators. She reportedly said she called 911 because “I would do it to them instead of them doing it to me.” When pressed for clarification, she said, “Kill them all.”
According to police statements, she also insisted that her children had been “killed by her” and “by the devil,” further stating, “You can’t take me without me taking you.”
Romels is being held on $14 million bail, facing two counts of murder and two counts of aggravated assault.
About a dozen years ago, she appeared on the “Paternity Tribunal” show to ascertain the father of her oldest son, but neither man on the program proved to be a match.
Interestingly, her 17-year-old son was not present during the shooting and was not located after searching their home.
Upon searching the residence, law enforcement uncovered indications of potential fraud. They returned with a search warrant and confiscated 33 Social Security cards, 48 ID cards, 16 credit cards, and various other items. Some had Romels’ name and address, while others had different identities.
Also found were shipping labels, phones, computers, laptops, printers, and other tools linked to the production of counterfeit identification materials.
