Ashley Roman is a New Jersey woman who was initially charged with first-degree murder after the 2021 death of her 8-month-old child in Paterson. Roman, then 20 and living in Wallington, was arrested alongside Joshua Delgado after the infant was brought to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center and pronounced dead. The case later ended with Roman receiving a three-year sentence for second-degree reckless manslaughter in 2024.
Death Of Ashley Roman’s 8-Month-Old Child
On October 25, 2021, Ashley Roman and Joshua Delgado brought Roman’s 8-month-old child to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson, New Jersey. The infant was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office.
Roman was the child’s mother. Delgado, who was 22 and lived in Paterson, was not related to the infant.
After the child’s death, the Paterson Police Department contacted the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit. Prosecutors said detectives immediately opened an investigation and interviewed multiple witnesses. Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office
Medical Examiner Ruled The Death A Homicide
On October 27, 2021, two days after the infant died, the New Jersey Regional Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a homicide.
The ruling became a central part of the investigation that ultimately led authorities to arrest Roman and Delgado. Contemporary reports from the Paterson Times and Daily Voice reported the medical examiner’s homicide determination.
Ashley Roman And Joshua Delgado Arrested
Roman and Delgado were arrested on November 9, 2021 following the investigation by the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and Paterson police.
At the time, Roman was identified as a 20-year-old resident of Wallington, New Jersey, while Delgado was a 22-year-old Paterson resident. Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office
Roman was initially held in the Passaic County Jail and Delgado was held in the Bergen County Jail while prosecutors sought their pretrial detention. Patch
Ashley Roman Was Initially Charged With First-Degree Murder
When authorities publicly announced the arrests on November 10, 2021, Roman was charged with:
First-degree murder
Second-degree endangering the welfare of a child
The original murder charge carried a potential sentence of 30 years to life in New Jersey state prison, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office.
The Paterson Times, Daily Voice and True Crime News were among the outlets that reported on Roman’s arrest and the original murder accusation.
Charges Against Joshua Delgado
Delgado was also initially charged with first-degree murder.
In addition, prosecutors charged him with third-degree endangering the welfare of a child and three heroin-related offenses:
Third-degree possession of heroin with intent to distribute
Second-degree possession of heroin with intent to distribute within 500 feet of a park
Third-degree possession of heroin
The additional charges were detailed in the original Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office announcement.
Ashley Roman Was Sentenced For Reckless Manslaughter
Roman’s case ultimately did not end with a murder sentence.
New Jersey Department of Corrections information subsequently reproduced in an October 2024 case update lists Ashley D. Roman as having been sentenced in Passaic County on June 20, 2024 for second-degree reckless manslaughter connected to the October 25, 2021 death. The Demon’s Den case update reproducing the NJDOC record
The record lists Roman’s sentence as:
Three years in prison
Mandatory minimum term: two years, six months and 17 days
Offense: second-degree reckless manslaughter
Offense date: October 25, 2021
Sentence date: June 20, 2024
The New Jersey Department of Corrections maintains an official incarcerated-person search system for state correctional records.
The disposition means that while Roman was originally charged with first-degree murder in 2021, her ultimate sentence was for the lesser offense of second-degree reckless manslaughter.
Ashley Roman Release Date
The Department of Corrections record reproduced in October 2024 listed December 25, 2026 as both Roman’s maximum release date and parole eligibility date. NJDOC record reproduced in the case update
The New Jersey Department of Corrections notes that release and parole dates in its offender database can change as sentences are recalculated.
What Happened To Joshua Delgado?
Delgado’s case also ended differently from the first-degree murder charge announced in 2021.
New Jersey corrections information reproduced alongside Roman’s record lists Delgado as sentenced on June 20, 2024 for endangering the welfare of a child through abuse or neglect stemming from the October 25, 2021 incident. He received a four-year sentence on that count. NJDOC records reproduced in the case update
The record also lists Delgado as receiving a seven-year sentence for possession of a controlled dangerous substance within 500 feet of public housing.
Separate Bergen County cases resulted in two three-year burglary sentences for Delgado in July 2024. NJDOC records reproduced in the case update
Ashley Roman Case Timeline
October 25, 2021: Roman and Delgado brought Roman’s 8-month-old child to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson. The infant was pronounced dead, and authorities opened an investigation. Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office
October 27, 2021: The New Jersey Regional Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the child’s death a homicide. Paterson Times
November 9, 2021: Roman and Delgado were arrested by authorities investigating the infant’s death. Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office
November 10, 2021: Prosecutors announced that both defendants had been charged with first-degree murder. Roman also faced a child-endangerment charge, while Delgado faced child-endangerment and heroin-related charges. Daily Voice
June 20, 2024: Corrections records list Roman as sentenced to three years for second-degree reckless manslaughter. Delgado was sentenced for child endangerment and a drug offense. NJDOC records reproduced in the case update
Was Ashley Roman Convicted Of Murder?
Roman was sentenced on June 20, 2024 to three years in prison for reckless manslaughter in connection with the October 25, 2021 death of her 8-month-old child. NJDOC sentencing information
One of the first political bloggers in the world, Oliver Willis has operated OliverWillis.com since 2000. Contributor at Media Matters for America and The American Independent. Follow on Twitter at @owillis. Full bio.
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