Charges against Romero tossed out

Prosecutors have dropped charges against former City Councilman Eugene Romero in connection with an argument he had with a woman at his house.

Romero, 40, 300 Cumbres Patio, had been charged with false imprisonment, a fourth-degree felony, and criminal damage to property, a misdemeanor.

In October, Las Vegas police were called to Romero’s house. According to court documents, the woman told officers that the former councilman didn’t want her to leave the house. Romero himself admitted to standing in the doorway, preventing her from leaving, police said.

Both the woman and Romero told police that he kicked the car she got into, police said.

District Attorney Richard Flores, however, said Romero and the woman owned the car together and it’s not against the law to damage one’s own property. Flores said he met with the alleged victim a number of times and she said repeatedly to him that Romero didn’t impede her ability to leave the house or the property.

The woman called police while Romero was kicking the car and stayed in it until officers arrived, Flores said.

Flores said the case essentially involved two people having an argument.

“I think many of us have been in the same situation wherein one party seeks to leave so as to try to defuse the situation,” Flores said in a statement. “When I was elected, my duty, first and foremost, was to do what is right and just in each case. In this case, what is right and just is to dismiss these charges.”

Romero left the council in March when his term ended.