Contributed Photo/Courtesy GCSO: Audrey Romero was booked into the jail on a charge of disorderly conduct after chasing a man and scaring schoolchildren.
By Jon Johnson
jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com
SAFFORD – A woman with possible mental issues was arrested and jailed Jan. 6 after harassing a man and several children returning home from school.
Audrey Romero, 51, was booked into the Graham County Adult Detention Facility for disorderly conduct after she was medically cleared by a doctor at Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center. Once at the jail, Romero continued to be a problem and reportedly assaulted to detention officers when and had to be put into a restraint chair to avoid hurting herself.
According to a Safford Police report, an officer was dispatched at about 2:13 p.m. to S. 9th Place due to a woman chasing a man. Upon arrival, the officer contacted Romero, who moved into the middle of the street and then started jumping up and down while asking the officer if he was going to arrest her. She was also making statements that didn’t make any sense, according to the report.
Romero was then taken into custody without incident, and the officer learned that the victim had been driving and Romero had approached his van when he stopped and began yelling at him. A group of six or seven schoolchildren were walking home from Lafe Nelson Elementary School at the same time and Romero reportedly had scared them with her theatrics.
The man then told the schoolchildren and their guardian to get in his van to avoid Romero and Romero reportedly got into the van and went after the driver. The driver fled, and Romero then attempted to grab one of the children and succeeded in grabbing the children’s guardian. The guardian did not wish to pursue any charges. It was later learned that Romero had disturbed the van driver before and had a previous police repot where Romero was at his house banging on his door.
Romero then took after the driver and tried to grab him and was yelling at him until police arrived. She was then taken to the hospital, where she attempted to “kick or touch” a security guard with her foot. She was then medically cleared and was transported to the jail.
While at the jail, Romero allegedly began banging her head on her cell door and was forcibly placed in a restraint chair.
