Thu Lan Tran, a 49-year-old office manager, tragically lost her life on June 27, 2014, in Sacramento, California. On that fateful day, she was working at a security business located on the 5600 block of 28th Street when she was shot in the head behind her ear during a robbery. The assailant, identified as 19-year-old David Alberto Romero, entered the business and shot Tran before fleeing with her laptop bag, which contained cash, paychecks, and checkbooks.
A nearby shop owner witnessed Romero leaving the scene with the bag and discovered Tran lying in a pool of blood. The shop owner then followed Romero and provided police with a partial license plate number, leading to Romero's arrest at his apartment near 32nd and X streets.
Romero was subsequently charged with first-degree murder with the special circumstance of committing the crime during a robbery. The jury found him guilty, and he was convicted of the murder of Thu Lan Tran. The court also determined that Romero had used a firearm during the incident. Following his conviction, Romero faced a maximum potential sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. His sentencing was scheduled for June 19, 2015.
The case drew significant attention due to the brutal nature of the crime and the young age of the perpetrator. The Sacramento community mourned the loss of Tran, who was remembered as a dedicated mother of two and a respected member of her workplace. The conviction of Romero brought some measure of justice to her family and friends, though the pain of her loss remained deeply felt.
