People v. Romero CA1/3

BACKGROUND

Defendant and Jane Doe were in a dating relationship for five years. During that time, she estimated he assaulted her on at least 20 occasions; he put the number at 50 times or more. On May 6, 2022, she called the police and reported he recently assaulted her twice. When officers arrived, they observed “severe” facial injuries. Doe’s left eye was “nearly swollen shut,” “the left side of her face above her eye” was “black-and-blue,” her nose and right eye were bruised, and she had a carpet burn on her forehead. Doe described the assaults to the officers. She recounted an incident two days prior where defendant repeatedly slapped her. She curled into the fetal position to protect herself, but he forcefully pulled her off the couch by her hair and threw her onto the carpet. She lost consciousness. She came to in a different room, feeling “[e]xcruciating” pain “all over her face.” She believed he’d “kicked or punched” her. She asked him to take her to the hospital, but he refused. She also described an incident that took place earlier that day. She and defendant drove to a park to discuss their troubled relationship. Because he was not engaged in the conversation, she…