No bail issued for man accused of killing ex-girlfriend in Anaheim
Mirelle Mateus of La Palma was found dead inside an Anaheim apartment on March 17. Her ex is facing murder charges.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) -- The family of a La Palma woman who was allegedly murdered by her ex-boyfriend earlier this year is stopping at nothing in their fight for justice.
Aaron Romo, the man accused of killing 24-year-old Mirelle Mateus, made a court appearance on Tuesday where he pleaded not guilty.
The body of Mateus was found inside an apartment in the 1900 block of S. Union Street in Anaheim on March 17. It was her mother, Alice Mateus, who made the tragic discovery.
"Homicide detectives responded to the scene and determined that Mateus was murdered and identified Romo as the suspect," read a press release issued by Anaheim Police at the time.
Several members of Mateus' family, including her mother and sister, attended Tuesday's court hearing, where a judge issued Romo no bail.
"God is good," said Mateus' sister Sandy Caceros. "We feel amazing. This is what we were hoping for; this is what we want to happen for him not to get any bail. No reduced, nothing, not to get any bail."
At the time of her death, detectives confirmed Romo and Mateus were previously in a romantic relationship. Police said he was out on bail from a domestic violence case dating back to December 2022.
Investigators believe Romo has assaulted other women in the past.
Mateus' family along with several supporters sat anxiously as the case was presented.
"It was hard. If you guys caught our reaction, it was really, really hard to hear a lot of that because there's a lot of facts that we didn't know, we weren't aware of, so to hear that for the first time is heart breaking," said Caceros.
Mateus' mother spoke to the court about finding her daughter's body with the help of an interpreter.
"These images do not leave my mind," the mother said. "I can't even sleep, every day thinking about my little girl and how she's no longer here."
Romo's next court appearance is set for July and Mateus' family said they're going to be there.
"We're going to continue to show up," said Caceros. "We're going to continue to make our presence felt, our friends and family will be here until justice is served."
If you or anyone you know has been the victim of domestic violence, there are resources available.
