Beaumont Woman Murdered By Nephew: Sentencing Scheduled This Week

BEAUMONT, CA — A 42-year-old convicted felon who fatally shot his aunt and seriously wounded an acquaintance during a dispute at a family banquet in Riverside is slated to be sentenced Friday to more than 50 years in state prison.

Abraham David Bonilla killed 39-year-old Beatrice Romo of Beaumont and shot her friend, identified in court documents only as "Tommy," at the Elks Lodge on Brockton Avenue in 2018.

A Riverside jury deliberated one day before finding Bonilla guilty of murder, attempted murder, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of controlled substances while armed, firearm assault, brandishing a gun and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Sam Shouka at the Riverside Hall of Justice on Friday morning.

He's being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail.

The attack happened at about 7 p.m. on June 30, 2018, during a leased family event at the lodge.

Riverside police investigators said Bonilla was among the attendees, and for several hours nothing was out of order. But toward the end of the affair, an argument erupted between the defendant and another celebrant, at which point he brandished a .380 semiautomatic handgun at several partygoers, then opened fire, according to prosecutors and Sgt. Mike Crawford of the Riverside Police Department.

Romo and Tommy were struck, though the defendant did not intend to shoot his aunt when he started firing the compact pistol, according to the prosecution.

He fled the location immediately afterward.

Relatives loaded the victims into separate cars and rushed them to Riverside Community Hospital moments before officers converged on the scene.

A short time later, patrolmen learned that a man matching the shooter's description had been involved in a wreck in the area of Fremont Street and Jurupa Avenue and was receiving treatment from paramedics. They went to the location and arrested Bonilla without a struggle.

Romo died during surgery less than two hours later. Tommy also underwent an operation for a wound to the upper body, from which he ultimately recovered.

According to court records, Bonilla has prior convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and gang activity.