The owner of a dog that last month attacked a 3-year-old girl inside a Spring restaurant has been arrested, according to Harris County court records.
Jennifer Romano, 46, on Monday was booked into Harris County Jail on felony charges of injury to a child and tampering with evidence in connection with the attack. During a hearing late Monday, a judge set bond at $5,000 for the first charge and $2,500 for the second charge with the condition that Romano stay away from the victim and victim’s family.
Romano is the owner of Kingston, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier who on Jan. 9 lunged and bit Ronin Waldroup on the face at the Loose Caboose restaurant. In the probable cause hearing, Romano appeared to be wearing a shirt with a large photo of a dog’s face.
he girl was taken to the emergency room at Memorial Hermann Hospital in The Woodlands, where she was treated for deep lacerations, puncture wounds and tearing to the skin on the right side of her face. She was sedated and received 14 stitches. She may have to receive plastic surgery to repair disfigurement to her face, court records say.
Witnesses said Romano fled the scene after the unprovoked attack. A Montgomery County judge ruled Jan. 26 to euthanize the dog, rejecting arguments from Romano’s defense attorney that the dog could be re-trained.
In charging papers filed Monday, a Harris County Sheriff’s Office investigator said the dog had previously bitten two people in separate incidents, including one within 12 months of the Jan. 9 attack.
Further, the investigator said Romano concealed Kingston from authorities while they were trying to seize the dog.
Romano’s attorney, John Kovach, could not immediately be reached for comment Monday night. Representatives for Waldroup’s family declined to comment Monday.
After three days of testimony, Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Matt Beasley ruled that Kingston should be put down. The dog has since been euthanized.
During the hearing, Kovach argued that the dog should be given a second chance in part because Romano relies on him for emotional support.
Beasley, however, said Romano demonstrated a lack of care and responsibility when she fled from the restaurant following the attack.
The sheriff’s office investigator spoke to multiple witnesses to the attack, which occurred while both parties stood in line at the restaurant at 26403 Preston Ave.
One witness said Ronin Waldroup was standing about 1 to 2 feet behind the dog when it turned around and bit her face. The witness said Romano pulled on the dog’s leash as it released the girl from its bite.
Another person, identified in court documents as Perry Muras, was seen on video entering the restaurant with Romano. He told investigators that he believed the girl “grazed” the dog before the attack. He admitted that he and Romano fled to his car “because (Romano) wanted to protect Kingston,” charging documents say.
He said Romano told him it was the little girl’s fault as they drove to her apartment.
Muras also told police that Kingston bit his right forearm a couple of years ago inside Romano’s house.
“Witness Muras said Defendant should have known Kingston could be aggressive even if unprovoked,” charging documents say.
Another woman told police she used to live with Romano. She said Kingston bit her face, injuring her lip, in an unprovoked attack in June 2020. The same woman said Romano owned numerous dogs that all have “service animal” vests.
Kingston had been wearing a “service dog” vest during the attack, authorities said.
Romano’s doctor previously wrote a letter stating that service animals help Romano with her general anxiety disorder, but did not specify Kingston by name. During the recent hearing, friends and relatives testified that Romano also has bipolar disorder, depression and hypertension, and takes multiple medications.
Dogs that only provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act. The act defines a service animal as a dog trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.
In recent years, Romano has been named in multiple lawsuits surrounding a different pit bull, Gus, she claimed to be rehabilitating through her now-defunct business, Maggie’s House Rescue.
