Friends say Pueblo homicide victim feared for her life days before murder

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- On Friday evening, Renee Francisca Dominguez was shot and killed at a Dollar General on the east side of Pueblo last week, but three of her closest friends said Renee felt she was going to die days before her death.

Her three friends, Deidra Quintana, Alicia Garcia, and Sandra Pluskett, outlined multiple incidences when Renee warned them that she was being abused by her former ex-boyfriend, identified by the Pueblo Police Department as 59-year-old Jerome Bustos.

"I knew right away as soon as I saw that post on Facebook that it was her just because of how frightened she was and what she told us,"Garcia said.

"She did everything right. She knew he was following her. She didn't go anywhere by herself. He was stalking her and it turned from domestic violence to flat out stalking her," Pluskett said.

Court records show that Dominguez filed a civil protection order against her former boyfriend on November 9. A temporary restraint order followed on November 10. In the order, she documented physical abuse at her home just two days prior.

Renee says she and her ex got into an argument, and she stated, "I went into the fetal position, and he started whaling on me with a closed fist." She adds, "I spoke with police, and they took pictures of my injuries. I was scared and worried about what was going to happen when he gets out."

On subsequent days after filing the report, she outlined instances of interactions with her ex, who was violating the protection order. On November 11, she found a note from him on her car. On the 12th, she received numerous text messages from him, and on the 13th, he was parked at a gas station across from her work, waiting for her.

"She never went back. The police did everything right. It's the judicial system that failed her," Pluskett said. "It's judge Roberto Silva who failed her."

Calls to County Judge Roberto Silva's office have not been returned at the publishing of this article.

Court records show that an enlargement of time was granted by Judge Silva on November 30. On December 15, defense attorneys filed a verified complaint against the civil protection order. The complaint claims the allegations made by Renee Dominguez were false, and the defendant denied all allegations.

Then on December 22, a motion to continue was filed by defense attorneys. They stated, "Counsel will need additional time to review all police reports and all necessary information with respondent." Defense attorneys said Dominguez's attorneys did not object to this continuance.

The temporary protection order was then vacated on December 22, court records indicate.

On January 13th, Dominguez's lawyers file an amended complaint for a protection order citing further instances of domestic abuse, stalking, and physical assault. The very next day, Renee was killed.

"She broke down in court several times. She was deathly afraid of her ex-boyfriend. He literally assassinated her," Pluskett said.

Those closest to Renee are simply confused as to why continuances were repeatedly filed in court with little action done over repeated claims of physical and emotional abuse.

"When you are going to court for a temporary restraining order, and they give you a continuance, and then another continuance, what do they expect to happen in those two to four weeks," Pluskett questioned. "For weeks she had been telling us, 'I am going to die. He is going to kill me.'"

Bustos was found dead by suspected suicide, according to police.

Dominguez's next court appearance was scheduled for February 7. That court appearance will now be vacated with the alleged suspect dying by suicide the day after her murder.

A ballon ceremony will be held in Renee's honor at 8 A.M. Sunday morning in Pueblo at her work, 3937 Ivywood Ln, Pueblo, CO 81005. All are invited to attend.