'This Was An Incredibly Violent Attack' —​ Man Sentenced For Beating Girlfriend Nearly To Death

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A man sentenced to life in prison for trying to beat his ex-girlfriend to death while her son slept in a nearby room could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Joseph Romo, 57, was sentenced Wednesday in Sonoma County Superior Court to life in prison plus five years for the attack on a woman who spent eight months recovering, prosecutors said in a news release.

"This was an incredibly violent attack that very nearly took the victim’s life," District Attorney Carla Rodriguez said in the statement. “My hope is that Mr. Romo serves a large portion of the sentence commensurate with the pain and suffering inflicted on the victim, who will be recovering both physically and emotionally for years to come. Our thanks to the jurors who served on this case and listened to the evidence.”

A jury convicted Romo in February.

Romo and the victim dated from 2008 to 2021 while living in Southern California. They broke up when she moved to Santa Rosa, and he followed in 2023, The Press Democrat reported
At 1 a.m. on May 8, 2024, Romo woke the victim in the bedroom of her Santa Rosa home and hit her in the head with a baton-like weapon, authorities said.

Her screams woke her teenage son, who saw Romo striking his unconscious mother, prosecutors said. Her son pulled Romo away and chased him from the home. The victim of the attack was treated for a week in an ICU for injuries and for several months in a nursing facility, according the prosecutors.

The mother and son couldn’t identify the attacker as Romo. However, the attacker dropped a bag while fleeing. Romo reported the next day that his stolen satchel with transit cards had been stolen. DNA traces on the bag matched his, according to The Press Democrat. Investigators also identified Romo in surveillance footage at the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) station. He was also seen riding from the woman's home, The Press Democrat reported. A witness later testified that Romo told her about the attack.

Romo will be eligible for a parole hearing in 2032.