A local woman has been charged with vehicular homicide following the crash last week of the vehicle she was driving which resulted in the death of her 6-year-old daughter.

According to the criminal complaint, officers from the Socorro County Sheriff’s Department responded Monday, Feb. 28, to the accident south of Luis Lopez at approximately 4 p.m. The complaint said when officers arrived, Kristen Romero, who sustained minor injuries, was located in the back seat trying to revive her child.

EMTs were called and the 6-year-old was transported to Socorro General Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.

According to Daniels Family Funeral Services, services for her will be announced this week.

In the complaint, Romero stated that she was texting while driving on State Road 1, and dropped her cell phone. When she reached to pick it up, her SUV drifted into the opposite lane, into the path of an oncoming vehicle. She stated in the complaint that she swerved to avoid a collision and over-corrected. The SUV left the road and rolled at least once, ending up in a field near the intersection of SR 1 and Windy’s Farm-Market Road.

The complaint said that Romero, who stated she had not consumed alcohol since midnight, agreed to be tested on the IR-8000 and her breath alcohol content (BrAC) was .21 and .21.

An assisting deputy located four bottles of an alcoholic beverage in the area of the vehicle, three of which were empty.

The criminal complaint filed in Socorro Magistrate Court on March 1 lists two counts:

Count I: Homicide by vehicle (DWI), a second-class felony

Count II: Tampering with Evidence (Highest Crime a Capital, First or Second Degree Felony), a third-class felony

Her case has been bound over to Seventh Judicial District Court and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 9 at the Sierra County Courthouse in Truth or Consequences, with Judge Roscoe Woods presiding. Romero is represented by attorney Katherine Stout.

John Larson, El Defensor Chieftain