BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — A 32-year-old woman, Cony Alvarado-Romero, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of her boyfriend in a 2021 shooting incident in east Bakersfield.
She has been charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and child cruelty, and she was ordered to be held without bail during her recent court appearance. Her next court date is scheduled for next month for a preliminary hearing.
On November 17, 2021, Jose Luis Hernandez Laureano, aged 30, was shot on Latham Street and subsequently died at Kern Medical.
According to court records, Alvarado-Romero claimed that she shot Laureano following an altercation. She alleged that Laureano had assaulted her and stated to the police that she fired one shot in his direction as he was walking away. Notably, Alvarado-Romero had no visible injuries, as documented by the police.
An autopsy conducted on Hernandez revealed that a bullet entered through the back of his left shoulder, traversed his lungs, and exited through the center of his chest, as indicated in the reports.
After the initial incident, Alvarado-Romero was released from custody as prosecutors deemed the case required further investigation. However, charges were subsequently filed in October, and she was located and re-arrested last week.