Note: See a Feb. 11, 2013 update on this case, when Roman was sentenced, here.
The question raised by the arrest and jailing of 28-year-old Angel Roman–for the eighth time in less than three years, this time on animal cruelty charges–is why the Palm Coast resident continues to end up in jail instead of receiving treatment.
People who know him and who have talked to police say he suffers from several mental illnesses. What precipitated his latest arrest was, in fact, the invocation of Florida’s Baker Act, which allows authorities to incarcerate an individual, against his or her will, at (in Flagler and Volusia’s case) Halifax Hospital’s locked-down mental health ward, where patients are evaluated for a period, treated, but also usually released within a few days, since the ward is not a long-term care facility.
Roman was Baker Acted on May 20. Three days later, Flagler County Circuit Court Judge Raul Zambrano signed a warrant for his arrest on felony charges of cruelty to animals. On Saturday (May 26), Roman turned himself in at the jail, where he remains on $100,000 bond. The answer to the question posed by his history and issues of mental illness remain unanswered, though Roman’s case is not unusual: local jails routinely end up warehousing individuals who–as their guards know, as road cops who arrest them know, as social agencies who deal with them know–would be better served in treatment centers. But those treatment beds are few and expensive. The state is investing less, not more, in caring for the mental health of the indigent.
So people like Roman end up in jail, as Roman himself has in the recent past for domestic battery, breach of the peace, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief, trespassing–the sort of serial behavior often associated less with a criminal mind than a mind in need of professional attention. That’s the context of the brutal story that follows.
On May 20, an official from Flagler and Volusia Support Services told Flagler County’s dispatch unit that he believed Roman should be Baker Acted because he’d injured several kittens and possibly strangled two of them, according to a police report. Roman was living with roommates at Burton Place in Palm Coast. Rollings told cops that Roman had admitted to him that he’d accidentally choked a kitten two weeks earlier, and that he “bit the lips off one of the kittens and burnt its ear and whiskers with a lighter,” according to the report. Rollins also told cops that “Roman suffers from several mental illnesses and he believed that Roman needed to be Baker Acted for his safety and the safety of others.”
Roman admitted to a cop to injuring the kittens, but by accident. “He advised,” the deputy wrote of Roman, “that he has been depressed lately because his girlfriend is gone and that is why he harmed the animals.” Then Roman clamped up, the report notes, at which time Roman was Baker Acted.
The owners of the kittens had rented a room to Roman. They were unaware of the harm to the kittens until May 20. One of the landlords told a deputy that Roman spends a lot of time with the kittens, holding them all the time, and that trouble may have started when the landlords were out of town, leaving Roman alone with the kittens. At one point Roman called the landlords to let them know that someone was interested in taking ownership of two of them. They granted permission. But a couple of days later, when everyone was back in the house, a kitten was found dead. The landlords initially attributed it to natural causes. But then they noticed another kitten had a few injuries. Those injuries worsened quickly.
When his roommates asked him about the kittens, Roman admitted that he had choked the one that had been found dead weeks earlier, and described how he had injured the other, called Oreo. On May 20, the animal was turned over to Palm Coast’s animal control division, then examined by a veterinarian on may 21, who confirmed that the injuries had been inflicted as Roman had described it.
Angela Smith says
The man is MENTALLY ILL, his actions are getting MORE violent, and if he does NOT receive treatment SOON, he will escalate from animals to humans. When it happens (and even the authorities know it WILL happen), the state will be liable, and justifiably so. Why must it be allowed to get to that point before something is DONE?
Eileen Curran says
He used to go to the teen center and his parents never supervised him when he was a minor AT ALL. They sure do live in a really nice house on the water though!
Lori Speis Pfeiffer says
He needs a psychiatric facility for a very lengthy stay; not jail. He is merely practicing for humans on these poor, helpless kittens.
Clint says
Evil is Evil…Stop making excuses for it. Half the population has mental problems. Some are in positions of authority and politics. Society is progressively getting more violent and cold hearted. Time has come to eradicate the criminally insane and the ones that PRETEND to be crazy.
devin mckenna says
ive know Angel Roman for about ten year or so and i agree with Angela Smith ….he dose have his issues rom when we used to hang out at the flagler county teeen center…HE NEEDS TREATMENT…HE IS WELL KNOWN IN PALM COAST
Elana Lee says
And just where in Flagler County do you think this man, and all the other citizens like him, are going to get this help that they so deperately need? Why do you think the suicide rate per capita is so high in the Volusia/Flagler Area? Do you think the Vince Carter Sanctuary will help someone like this, with no money to pay for his treatment? Just who are those “authorities” responsible for behavorial health care in this county anyway, and how much of our tax dollars are designated for such? I know, I have more questions than answers.
Rae Marshall says
I’ve known Angel for the last 8 yrs. He really does need help and we all know it. He has been getting worse and worse over the yrs as is apparent in his actions. Anyone who knows the name Angel Roman in Palm Coast knows that he is a disturbed man and that the last thing he needs is jail, he needs severe treatment and put on the right medications, not medicated and put back out in society.
Geezer says
I always sympathize with those who are mentally ill.
But in this case I’d like to see this bloke shipped to Chattahoochee, Florida,
where he can be supervised 24/7 and kept out of our community.
The kittens he maimed and killed are merely a stepping stone.
This individual can graduate from four-legged victims to defenseless people, like little kids.
Angel is like a corrupted hard drive – he needs reformatting.
"My Daily Rant" says
He belongs locked up,he should have been locked up already.If he does any bodily harm to one of my family members I will sue Flagler County Sheriff.
blondee says
People that torture animals are sometimes on the road to becoming serial killers. Jeffrey Dahmer, for example. Lock him up NOW and throw away the key before another tragedy occurs!!
palmcoaster says
This man looks like the same one that used to go around as a teen stealing bicycles and any other stuff they got their hands on with his “friends” around Palm Coast. Deputies were often at their residence then since 2000. Neighbors knew of drug dealings as well with him. The economic crisis make them move elsewhere. If you are good enough to deal drugs, then sufficient good to stand trial, do not play menthally ill..I know a family that has a drug addicted son, always playing the sick game for his compassionate mother favors and he gets his way. Stealing and lying is a daily occurrence while his family is trying to help him to no avail. Even his grandma is afraid of him as suspects he engineered a breaking in her house w/friends to steal.
They need to be locked up for justice and treatment if needed. As far is my concern wether sick or not, he needs to be exposed to the same treatment he used with these innocent defenseless kittens. If not locked up can end up maiming someone, like the Miami cannibal last weekend.
Anggie Matos says
Angel Roman is my uncle and he is Not a violant person and people who say that they have know him know that this is the first real insident that had ever occured so violent im not saying what he did was right in the least bit but my uncle does not deserve to be in jail he need treatment he needs help and he is not alone plenty of people out there in volusia and flagler county are just like him seeking treatment and treatment is never givin.
Odett Roman says
My name is Odett and I am one of Angel Roman’s older sisters. Before people make their own opinions, please let me have a moment to attest to his defense. Angel Roman was adopted in to our family when he was 1 years old. His birth mother was addicted to crack and my parents took him in knowing he was a sick child. My parents have two sons of their own and have adopted 10 of us and have done nothing but love, care, and support Angel and all of us in our lives. For the people that truly know Angel in Palm Coast know that he was a loving and caring person and that he has mental problems. He is on medication and he has been all of his life. He is not a murderer, drug dealer or anything as vicious as what was written in these comments. The people who really know him know he is a caring person who is need of medication and help. Please do not judge people before knowing their whole story and who they are and where they come from. It is easy to cast stones but my family, especially my parents, have done everything to help Angel throughout his life. What he needs is help, a facility that can help him, not jail and not to be shipped away like he is nothing. He is someone. Someone in need of help. He didn’t ask to be born as a crack addict. This was the deck of cards he was dealt. For people like this, we need to help them. I ask you all kindly to refrain from such terrible comments and to give our family respect as we all deal with this at this time. Thank you. If you have any additional comments, please feel free to email me at [email protected]. Thank you.
Odett Roman says
Thank you for supporting your uncle.
Anonymous says
Anyone that can do such things to helpless baby animals does not deserve to be free among society. You are not saying that “what he did was right,” so what are you saying. I don’t know how old you are but this type of behavior is despicable. It is not a little bit wrong. It is not slightly evil. It is evil to the nth degree. He should be put in prison for at least five years for this crime. If I had my choice, he would be removed from society permanently.
palmcoaster says
@Odette. I can understand your feeling for your adopted brother. Being that he has a large family you should all collaborate financially and psychologically to help him with more than just words. Why, we the taxpayers should bear the burden of his antisocial, dangerous and cruel behavior. Your brother has been very costly to the local tax payers since his early teen years when our local law enforcement was often called to the residence of his parents. He was also provided free Flagler County Transport as I recall . So far society has done all possible to help him, to no avail. His large family should have taken over his care, long time ago. Now we all (people and animals) need to be protected from him.
We, responsible parents care and provide for our children even in adulthood if needed, why not his?
ANONYMOUSAY says
@ Odett Roman: Honestly you should be grateful Flaglerlive is showing JUST restraint by filtering comments regarding this case, including my own judging by how few are actually making the cut. Palmocaster pretty much said it. But to add, it’s not fair to the public that you and your family and a select few are aware of Angels issues and the rest of us find out when something like this or worse happens. I myself had a run in with Angel Roman after witnessing a physical altercation at a local supermarket between him and his girlfriend. It wasn’t until I interrupted with the threat of calling 911 did he back off and jump on his bike and leave. Many times he has been in public drunk and aggressive. This isn’t the big city it’s hard to blend in when one is progressively racking up a criminal record. I’m sure there were certain guidelines only he himself was supposed to and able to follow not trigger these episodes. Nobody made him drink alcohol or not take his medication or get into fights with his girlfriend in public. He is and was capable of being responsible of somethings to keep himself in check. And if not, SHAME on whoever allowed this grown man to roam the streets and do this to helpless animals and whatever else hasn’t come to light yet.
danielle says
angel is my brother in law and i know a lot about the altercations that he has had and everything else that people are claiming he has done. he’s not perfect. leave him alone and let him try to get the help he needs
Mods says
I have been around (not friends but knew him) Angel since I was 13. I am now 22 years old. I knew he had mental issues just talking to him for a little bit something was off. A couple of months ago, I was at my boyfriends house having a yard sale and Angel came by and just asked to place some of his stuff out ( broken and messed up). My boyfriend said ok. I had to walk down the street (where this took place) and make sure our signs were still up. He asked me out on a date and I said uhhh my boyfriend wouldnt like that or something of the sort trying to turn him down gently because I felt bad. He then kept trying to persuade me to go into the house with him. I said yeahhhhh…after I am done. He followed me the whole time finally he road is bike and stopped to look at another yard sale. I ran back to my boyfriends house ran inside and said I am not coming out I felt uncomfortable. He didnt come back to the house for his stuff or anything. Reading this freaked me out so bad and Im glad I went with my intuition to not go into the house because I felt sorry. I find it quite sick and disturbing. I am going to school for Criminology and I understand mental issues are a big problem in this society but who is to say what he is or isnt capable of. It scares me that I was that close to someone who would do that but I also understand anyone has the capability ill or not.
Sendglow says
Please don’t associate the mentally ill, the vast majority of whom are law-abiding, functioning members of society, with cases such as this. Everything is not a matter of “sane or insane” or “rational or irrational”. There is still right and wrong, or else we wouldn’t have jails, only mental hospitals.
EVIL men hide behind the label of mental illness, and the moral relativists who come to their defense make it worse for the rest of us by feeding the stigma and stereotypes.
You cannot get an evil streak out of someone with drugs and therapy; that is what prison is for.
K says
I too know Roman and have since high school. I do not blame his family for his actions. BUT he is a grown man and this isnt the first. to his family who claims he hasnt been in real trouble , where have you been? I personally have witnesssed him beating on his girlfriend as she was trying to ride away on her bike. I have seen him MANY at least 10 times in physical altercations that he started out of no where. I do understand he must be very sick and agree maybe jail isnt the perfect spot for him but a PERMANENT mental institution is best for him and those in our county , and others. He IS a danger to himself and OBVIOUSLY others. none of us are perfect but I know myself i have never beat anyone up , or harmed an animal especially not in that way. There most definately is something wrong. In hs he seemed to be an ok person he was in classes similar to dropout prevention/ese type classes. not because he is dumb as some might think but because he is troubled. I can see both sides of the fence and people who only cast hate should step back and unless u know the young man personally then watch what you say and to those who think he is sikc i agree he is very very sick and needs serious help before he does something worse that he may never be able to recover emotionally from. I wish the best to his family through this tought time and know it was not you that made his decisions for him, he , although sick,. must take responsibility for his actions.
Loriel says
I really do not care about his mental issues; obviously anyone who is “normal” would not intentionally torture an animal. Lock him up and get him off the streets. I have no sympathy for this cowardly animal abuser.
Rich says
There is a special place in hell for those that abuse animals.
Tm says
I know Angel Roman I tried to Mentor him I tried to help him I begged him to get Psych Care I begged him to stay clean but he chosen the life to live I’m a big advocate for animals I just found this out today I didn’t read the sentencing yet but personally I am heartbroken I think he needs to be locked away from the public I tried my best to help him and be a friend to him I knew him from high school personally I am very disgusted I hope his family sees piece and it’s not their fault sometimes you just have to let someone go but we as a community do not need this violence on the poor defenseless animals and probably humans in the near future I know he’s a member of your family but sometimes you just have to Release Yourself from liability I think he needs to be in a penitentiary or a supermax prison we all have choices in life and he already knew where he was going I hope the family can move on and just forget Angel ever existed I think angel needs to be the ward of the state we don’t want him back in the community hard for me to say this but personally nobody wants him back in the community