KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — A man who is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his two children will find out early next year whether he is competent to stand trial for her murder.
32-year-old Anthony Ozomaro faces one count of open murder, and a felony firearms charge in the death of 35-year-old Nikkole Riojas on March 8th, 2019.
Ozomaro had been involved in several incidents of domestic abuse against his former partner of 5 years, including dropped charges for domestic violence and assault after pointing a gun at Riojas’s head in September 2018.
A detective told Kalamazoo County District Court Judge Richard Santoni at a probable cause hearing in August that Riojas had decided to move out of the defendant’s Florence Street residence months earlier in response to the abuse. The detective mentioned how a friend described Riojas saying that Ozomaro was “extremely controlling”.
Police discovered Riojas dead from a bullet wound to the head around 11:30 a.m. on March 8th, after a call from a neighbor. Her kids reportedly discovered her body, and after trying to wake her walked over to ask for help.
Police say that two people in a vehicle nearby claimed to see Ozomaro enter the home the night before, suspiciously walking on foot when they say he tended to always drive.
After an initial investigation of the scene, officers were able to discover Ozomaro’s car not far away. Following a short chase they followed the supect into an abandoned property after they fled on foot following a crash. After a standoff, the suspect was taken into custody on charges of fleeing and eluding a police officer, as well as a no-contact order from reportedly being at his ex-girlfriends residence.
Ozomaro is also facing federal charges resulting from the discovery of 251 grams of crystal meth at his home. As the court process got underway, he was orderded to stand for a competency trial to determine if a trial could proceed.
Kalamazoo County District Judge Christopher Haenicke will decide if Ozomaro is able to stand trial after a review is presented on February 11th.
