REDWOOD CITY — A 30-year-old Daly City man was convicted of first-degree murder Wednesday for fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend in front of their two children in 2023, prosecutors said.
Romier Taguiam Narag was also found guilty of one count each of felony and misdemeanor child endangerment, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office. Two of the charges had firearm enhancements.
The jury came to its decision after a 15-day trial overseen by San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey R. Finigan.
“We’re glad that justice has been done here,” San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe said. “A first-degree murder conviction with the use of a gun will guarantee that Mr. Narag is locked up for a very long time.”
Wagstaffe added that the child endangerment charges stem from threats he made to the children, including brandishing his weapon at them. That could potentially add time to his sentence.
“As a society, we know that when children see violence in the home, way too often, they repeat it when they become adults,” Wagstaffe said.
Françoise Espinoza, Narag’s defense attorney, declined to comment on the case.
On March 6, 2023, Narag and his ex-girlfriend, Frances Lucero, 27, went out to dinner with their three- and four-year-old children, prosecutors said. The pair took separate cars back to Lucero’s residence on Eastgate Drive.
When they exited their vehicles, Narag pulled out a Glock handgun, prosecutors said. Lucero attempted to flee from Narag, running from the driveway to the residence’s steps, when Narag shot her multiple times in the torso and leg as the children stood nearby.
Narag’s brother attempted to take the gun from his hands as his girlfriend rushed the children to safety, prosecutors said.
Lucero was pronounced deceased at the home, where police also arrested Narag.
Investigators found his gun under a nearby vehicle, and the incident was caught on video by neighborhood security cameras.
Narag could face up to 56-years-to-life in prison, Wagstaffe said.
He will next appear in court March 5 for his sentencing hearing.
The Mercury News
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