Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Murder suspect had school job

The man charged with raping and killing a toddler worked for an elementary afterschool program four months this year.

By REBECCA CATALANELLO
Published September 2, 2006

TAMPA - The man accused of raping and killing 2½-year-old Heather Romance spent almost four months working in an elementary afterschool care program this year.

Eric Tate, 18, was employed with the Hillsborough County school district from Jan. 16 to May 1 as a child care worker at Muller Elementary's afterschool program, a school district spokesman confirmed Friday.

Tate left before the 2005-06 school year ended, but records offered no reason for his early departure. School district spokesman Stephen Hegarty said there was nothing in Tate's personnel file to indicate he left under questionable circumstances.

Tate helped provide day care services to up to 50 Muller students. The day care was held at the University Area Community Center, located just next to the school at 14013 N 22nd St., Hegarty said.

Tate was arrested Aug. 16, and is accused of raping his girlfriend's toddler while babysitting in the home they shared in Lutz. Heather Romance, who would have turned 3 on Nov. 18, died from her injuries a day later at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital.

Tate is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and capital sexual battery in connection with Heather's death.

As of Friday, parents of Muller students had not been notified of Tate's arrest and charges, Hegarty said.

"I trust that might have been a different answer if you had asked me next week," Hegarty said of the parental notification.

The school district learned of Tate's arrest after a statewide criminal background check system alerted Hillsborough school officials that one of their employees - in this case, a former employee - received new criminal charges, Hegarty said.

It wasn't clear Friday how long school officials have known.

Hillsborough sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said the supervisor of the detective handling the case was unaware that Tate at one time had worked in the school district.

Neither the school district nor the Sheriff's Office has questioned students or their parents to find out whether anything was amiss while Tate was employed in the afterschool program, according to Carter and Hegarty.

"At this point," Carter said, "we are unaware of any other victims. As far as being concerned about the fact that Tate worked with children; we will have to look into it."

Carter said that in high-profile cases like these, it is not unusual for additional victims to voluntarily contact investigators.

Amy Romance, Heather's mother, said she met Tate six months ago after a co-worker referred her to him as a possible babysitter.

At the time, Romance said, Tate was babysitting her friend's 2-year-old daughter and infant son.

The Times could not reach Romance's Verizon co-worker Friday. But Romance said her friend has taken her children to a specialist to find out if the tots were displaying any signs of being victimized.

"It's scary to think of all the kids he had contact with," Romance said.

Until her daughter was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, she had no reason to suspect Tate was hurting her daughter, she said at the time of Heather's death. In fact, she added, she had been attracted to him in part because he seemed to be good with Heather.

According to personnel records provided by the school district, Tate was reprimanded shortly after he was hired for failing to disclose an arrest while he was a student at Bowers-Whitley Career Center for marijuana possession. The charge showed up during a standard criminal background check for school employees.

On Jan. 20, the district dismissed Tate from his new job in a letter signed by Joseph Trumbach, manager of professional standards. But a week later, after meeting with Tate in person, Trumbach notified the 18-year-old in writing that he was eligible for continued employment.

"Please exercise extreme care in your personal life," Trumbach warned in the letter, "as criminal arrests, charges and/or convictions may have an adverse effect on your continued employment."

Tate attended Bowers-Whitley Career Center until Dec. 14, according to his personnel record. No other employment is listed.

In an interview the day after Heather died, Amy Romance and her sister Jennifer Romance said they remembered Tate saying his mother used to run a day care out of their home when he was young.

Similarly, Tate's roommates at 14711 N 30th St. in Lutz described Tate as a former day care worker - a statement noted in an Aug. 18 St. Petersburg Times article.

Tate's family has declined comment in the past. They could not be reached on Friday night.

Amy Romance, 20, indicated on Friday she is still reeling from her loss. She and Heather's father, Jammie Cessna, 28, picked up her ashes on Friday. They are sharing their daughter's remains in two urns.

"We didn't want her to be apart from us," Romance said.

Friends and co-workers have set up a fund at Bank of America to help with funeral expenses and lost wages. Donors can mark their contributions as being for the "Heather Romance/Baby Angel Fund."

Times researcher Cathy Wos contributed to this report. Rebecca Catalanello can be reached at (813) 226-3383 or rcatalanello@ sptimes.com.

[Last modified September 3, 2006, 11:57:25]