REMEMBERING ROMEO

Romeo Angeles was only eighteen months old when he died. His legal name was Romeo Angeles, but the little boy was also known throughout his life as Jaxton Dru, or simply J.D. His father called him J.D., and that is the name that would later be used repeatedly during the criminal trial surrounding his death. Romeo was born on June 25, 2022, in Tallahassee, Florida. His obituary remembers a little boy who was deeply loved. “To know Romeo was to love him,” his family wrote, describing his smile as contagious and remembering the joy he brought to the people around him. Romeo had an older sister, Jazlyn, and a brother, Anthony. His obituary also names his mother, Sheyla Alondra Angeles Garnica, his grandmother Emma Angeles, and other members of his extended family who survived him. His father, Julian Williams, was an important part of Romeo's daily life. Trial testimony established that Romeo had lived with Julian and Julian's sister beginning when he was only a few months old.

By eighteen months, J.D. had become a healthy, active toddler. He had his own routines, preferences and personality. Trial coverage described him sitting in a little chair on the final morning of his life, eating snacks and watching a children's program he liked. It was an ordinary morning in a life that should have contained thousands more of them.

ROMEO’S STORY

In 2023, Romeo's father, Julian Williams, began a relationship with Trinity Madison Poague. Trinity was a student at Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia. She was also involved in beauty pageants and held the title of Miss Donalsonville. Romeo sometimes accompanied his father when Julian visited Trinity. Evidence introduced at Trinity's later trial showed significant tension surrounding the little boy. Prosecutors presented messages in which Trinity complained about Romeo and expressed hostility toward him. The prosecution argued that Trinity resented having to occupy a stepmother type role and wanted a family with Julian that did not include responsibility for his young son. On January 13, 2024, Julian brought eighteen month old Romeo to Americus to stay with Trinity at her dorm at Georgia Southwestern State University. The following morning, January 14, Romeo appeared healthy. Shortly before noon, Julian left the dorm to pick up pizza. Romeo remained with Trinity. Julian was gone for only about thirty five minutes. During that brief period, Romeo suffered catastrophic injuries. Students in the dorm later described hearing a young child crying for an extended period before the crying suddenly stopped. When Julian returned, his son was gravely ill. Romeo was vomiting and barely conscious. Julian rushed him to Phoebe Sumter Hospital in Americus. Medical personnel attempted lifesaving measures. They could not save him. Romeo Angeles died on January 14, 2024. He was eighteen months old. The injuries Romeo suffered were devastating. The evidence established blunt force trauma to his head and torso, including catastrophic brain injury and serious damage to his liver. His death was ruled a homicide. Trinity gave varying explanations for what had happened to Romeo, including claims involving falls from furniture. She also acknowledged shaking him when he was not responding normally. Investigators did not believe Romeo's injuries resulted from an accidental fall. Five days after his death, on January 19, 2024, Trinity Poague was arrested. She was eighteen years old.

WARNING SIGNS

The criminal trial revealed warning signs in Trinity's communications before Romeo's death. Prosecutors presented text messages Trinity had sent to her roommate expressing hostility toward the toddler, including messages saying that she wanted to hit him and describing how much she disliked him. Prosecutors argued that those messages showed growing resentment toward Romeo and frustration with being placed in a caregiving role when he accompanied his father to Americus. The messages became important evidence at Trinity's trial because they existed before Romeo suffered his fatal injuries. They showed that the person later left alone with J.D. had previously expressed anger and violent thoughts toward him. There is an important distinction, however, between warning signs and a documented system failure. The sources reviewed for Romeo's case do not establish that child protective services, police or another government agency had received those messages or had an opportunity to intervene before his death.

JUSTICE FOR ROMEO

Trinity Madison Poague was initially arrested on charges of felony murder, aggravated battery and first degree cruelty to children. A grand jury later returned a six count indictment charging her with malice murder, two counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated battery and first degree cruelty to children. Her case eventually went to trial in Sumter County in December 2025. Prosecutors presented evidence concerning Romeo's injuries, the short period when Trinity was alone with him, her statements about what happened and messages she had sent before his death. On December 5, 2025, the jury reached its verdict. Trinity was found not guilty of malice murder. She was found guilty on the remaining five counts, including two counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated battery and first degree cruelty to children. Because some of those counts arose from the same criminal conduct, the court merged or vacated overlapping counts for sentencing. Trinity was sentenced to life in prison, with an additional twenty year sentence running concurrently. Published coverage of the sentencing reports that she will become eligible for parole after thirty years.

Trinity Madison Poague

Relationship to Romeo: Father’s Girlfriend and Caregiver

Conviction(s): Felony murder; First degree cruelty to children

Sentence: Life in prison, with a concurrent 20 year sentence; eligible for parole after 30 years

FOREVER REMEMBERED

Romeo lived for eighteen months. That is barely enough time for a child to begin showing the world who he is. Yet Romeo had already done exactly that. His family remembered a little boy with a contagious smile who brought happiness to the people around him. His father knew him as J.D. Others knew him as Jaxton Dru. His birth certificate said Romeo Angeles. Those names all belonged to the same little boy. The circumstances surrounding his death would eventually become national news. There would be headlines about a beauty queen, a college dorm, a murder trial and a life sentence. But Trinity Poague's biography is not Romeo's biography. Romeo's story began before he ever met her. He was born in Tallahassee on June 25, 2022. He had a mother. He had a father. He had siblings and grandparents and extended family. He had a smile his family remembered as contagious. And on the final morning of his life, he was still doing what eighteen month old children are supposed to do: eating a snack, watching something he enjoyed and trusting the adults around him to keep him safe. Thirty five minutes should never have been enough to take away all the years that were supposed to follow. Romeo should have turned two. Then three. He should have grown old enough to decide for himself whether he wanted people to call him Romeo, Jaxton, J.D. or something else entirely.bHe never received that chance. But he had eighteen months in which he was known, loved and remembered. That life belongs to him. Abuse Angels remembers Romeo “Jaxton Dru” Angeles. Remembered. Honored. Never Forgotten.