By Tim Leeds/Havre Daily News/leeds@havredailynews.com
The Hill County Attorney's Office has filed charges against a Havre man accused of entering another man's residence and threatening him with a knife nine days after the defendant was sentenced in an earlier case.
Darryl A. Romero, 18, was arrested Saturday. The Hill County Attorney's Office on Monday charged him with burglary and assault with a weapon.
The arrest came after two District Court judges gave Romero a deferred imposition of sentence in two earlier cases. Deferred imposition means the convictions drop off a defendant's record if that person remains law-abiding.
State District Judge David Rice told Romero on Nov. 29 that he was giving Romero a chance to start adult life without a criminal record. He noted that Romero had numerous juvenile offenses.
"At 18 years of age, I think it would be good to have a chance to have a clean record," he said.
"I just want to get on with my life," Romero told Rice.
Rice sentenced Romero to a two-year deferred imposition of sentence for burglary and theft charges stemming from an incident on April 10.
That incident occurred seven days after he was released from the Pine Hills juvenile correction facility on April 3, his 18th birthday.
State District Court Judge John McKeon on Jan. 13 gave Romero a two-year deferred imposition of sentence for charges originally filed in 1999, when he was 13.
Romero was placed in a group home in 1999 after he was charged with theft, assault and resisting arrest when he was accused of stealing a candy bar from a Havre store, court records said. In 2000, Romero was released from the home to the care of his mother, Sheila Archambault of Havre.
Romero was sent back to Pine Hills in December of 2000 after admitting to violating conditions of his release by drinking alcohol and using marijuana and methamphetamine, according to court records.
He was released to his mother's custody again in April 2002, but was sent back after admitting to violating conditions of his release, the records said.
He was released to his mother's custody in July 2003, and was arrested on charges of stealing and rolling a vehicle in August 2003. Romero was sent back to Pine Hills after he admitted in September 2003 to taking the vehicle, and remained there until his 18th birthday, court records said.
Seven days later, on April 10, he was arrested on the burglary and theft charges after he entered a man's residence, threatened the resident and stole a cell phone, court records said.
Archambault, 38, is currently facing one felony drug charge and two misdemeanor drug charges in state District Court.
