'Orphaned his own children': Man killed his ex-girlfriend as she tried to run away while their young kids watched because she 'pushed my buttons'

Inset: Frances Lucero (GoFundMe). Background: Romier Taguiam Narag, in an orange jumpsuit, was sentenced for killing Lucero in Daly City, California (KRON).

A California man is headed to prison for decades after he gunned down his ex-girlfriend in front of their two children, who were ages 3 and 4 at the time.

Romier Taguiam Narag, 30, was sentenced to 64 years to life behind bars last week for the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend Frances Lucero, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office. A jury last month found Narag guilty of first-degree murder and child endangerment.

"The defendant has orphaned his own children and the devastation will last their entire lives," the judge said during sentencing.

In March 2023, Narag and Lucero got into a heated argument outside her home in Daly City, just outside of San Francisco. Narag pulled out a gun and shot Lucero several times, including twice in the back, killing her. Cops arrested Narag at the scene.

At sentencing, the defendant apologized for his actions and said he hated the person he saw in the mirror, but still placed part of the onus on Lucero.

"She pushed my buttons and it just happened," he stated, according to a courtroom report from local CW affiliate KRON.

Lucero's mother, Liezel Chan Lucero, is now raising the two children, who she said were too young to understand what had happened.

"There are some questions [from the children] that are like 'Is there a way to get ahold of my mom?'" Liezel Lucero told local NBC affiliate KNTV last year. "Those kinds of things are really breaking my heart every day. Every day."

A GoFundMe account described Frances Lucero as a "beautiful mother, daughter, sister, and friend who touched countless lives of those around her."

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"Frances dedicated her life to her children and always spread the love she had to share," the GoFundMe said. "She was the most genuine, thoughtful, loyal and ambitious woman we've all been blessed to know. Frances was that friend that would help you celebrate good times and provide nothing but support during the bad times."