Landmark CA Murder Case Out Of Temecula Sees Closing Chapter

TEMECULA, CA — A final chapter has closed on a landmark second-degree murder case out of Riverside County.

Vicente David Romero, 34, of Temecula was sentenced Friday to 15 years to life in state prison after a jury found him guilty in August of killing 26-year-old Kelsey King. Her death came after the two split a fentanyl-laced pill supplied by Romero, according to prosecutors.

The Romero trial marks the first time in California history that a defendant has been convicted of murder by a jury in a fentanyl death case, according to the office of Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin.

Judge Timothy Freer handed down Romero's sentence Friday and sounded a warning.

“It should be known far and wide, that the district attorney, that’s Mr. Hestrin, and his deputy, Mr. Pfohl, who prosecuted this case, along with the sheriff’s office, that’s Chad Bianco, and the deputies who testified, they will aggressively investigate and prosecute individuals for furnishing fentanyl causing death. That should be abundantly clear. They will seek murder charges in this case. They will obtain convictions,” Freer said.

Hestrin's office now has two dozen fentanyl-related death cases in which second-degree murder charges are filed, and prosecutors say they are not letting up.

“Our office is prosecuting the largest volume of fentanyl-related homicides in the state because we firmly believe those who knowingly endanger the lives of others must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law," Hestrin said.

“Drug-induced homicide is homicide," the DA continued. "Today’s sentencing not only reflects the gravity of what happened to Kelsey King, but what continues to happen to so many men and women in our community because of the skyrocketing rates of illicit fentanyl sales."

Prosecutors told the jury that Romero first met King on the day she died, June 16, 2020, when both sought to get high on drugs in Temecula.

Romero was a reputed drug dealer, and on the day of the meeting he had multiple fentanyl-laced M30 pills in his backpack, prosecutors alleged.

Romero later admitted during an interview with sheriff's detectives that he and King went to a spot on Jefferson Avenue, underneath Interstate 15 in Temecula, where he crushed one of the pills and used a straw to snort the contents, according to court documents.

"King then snorted the other half of the pill. The defendant and King began to feel better and were laughing for about five minutes," the documents continued. "The defendant then remembered that he started sweating and feeling funny. He checked his phone camera to look at his face. That was the last thing that the defendant claimed he remembered before passing out."

Romero awoke hours later to find King unconscious, face down, with her buttocks in the air, prosecutors said.

"The defendant remembered King being cold to the touch when he tried to shake her and wake her up," according to the narrative.

Romero walked to a Chevron gas station several blocks away on Rancho California Road and asked the attendant to call 911, then began vomiting uncontrollably, court papers said.

Deputies went to the Chevron and questioned Romero, who was leaning against a trash bin, throwing up. After confirming he was a probationer, the deputies searched his backpack and discovered a loaded handgun, as well as five "blues" (M30s), according to the documents.

Romero told deputies about King, pointing out where he had left her. A patrol unit went to the location, and a deputy discovered the woman dead.

"The defendant was transported to Temecula Valley Hospital, where he was treated for the fentanyl ingestion, as well as methamphetamine," the court documents stated.

A Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner's Bureau autopsy on King determined her cause of death stemmed from the "effects of methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl," court papers said.

While speaking with detectives, Romero allegedly acknowledged that King's death "is on me because I gave her the pills," according to prosecutors.

"The defendant confirmed that King had never used fentanyl before, but that she had taken shots of 'black,' referring to heroin," the prosecution wrote.

During the five-day jury trial, the prosecution called 10 witnesses to testify and showed body-worn camera footage in which Romero said he gave and split a pill with King, which he knew contained fentanyl.

Romero also admitted that he knew how dangerous fentanyl was, and that he had overdosed while using the drug before.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is more than 50 times stronger than heroin, and 100 times stronger than morphine. It is often added to other illicit drugs because it is inexpensive yet extremely potent.

In an open plea to the court prior to the trial, Romero admitted to other charges, including possession of drugs while armed, being a convicted felon and drug addict in possession of a firearm, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Court documents show Romero has prior convictions for assault, unlawful intercourse with a minor and burglary.

According to public safety officials, there were more than 500 confirmed fentanyl-related fatalities in Riverside County last year, compared to just two in 2016.

In reflecting on the trial outcome, Deputy District Attorney Jerry Pfohl said, “The crime of murder looks at the indecency of an act that causes death and the inhumanity of doing such an act knowing it is dangerous to human life. In the process to get to this point, we have been ever mindful to our obligations to the law and to justice. In this case, we are pleased that justice was able to be done.”