Girlfriend crushed father of her 8 kids’ head in Olive Garden parking lot with new SUV

A Nevada woman is facing a murder charge after authorities say she intentionally ran over her longtime boyfriend in the parking lot of an Olive Garden following an argument.

Prosecutors allege that 40-year-old Andrea Roman deliberately struck Bryan Hicks, 40, the father of her eight children, with her newly purchased Mitsubishi Outlander on Oct. 18, 2025. According to a criminal complaint, Roman is accused of “willful, deliberate and premeditated” murder and of using her vehicle as a deadly weapon.

The incident occurred outside an Olive Garden in North Las Vegas, where the couple had gone with their 4-year-old child. Authorities say the argument began inside Roman’s new SUV — which she had owned for less than a day — and escalated into the parking lot after Hicks exited the vehicle.

At a preliminary hearing Tuesday, Clark County District Attorney Kassandra Acosta argued that Roman intentionally drove into Hicks. “She knows the difference between reverse and drive,” Acosta said in court. Prosecutors allege Roman inched the vehicle forward and turned the wheel toward Hicks before striking him.

Defense attorney David Lopez-Negrete contended that the collision was accidental. He told the court Roman may have mistakenly accelerated forward when she intended to put the vehicle in reverse, noting that she was unfamiliar with the SUV’s nontraditional gearshift system. Lopez-Negrete argued there is a “very viable” case that the incident was an accident.

Prosecutors countered that Roman had been driving the vehicle earlier that day, including a stop at a pawn shop where she would have needed to maneuver and reverse while parking.

Hicks died from traumatic asphyxia after becoming pinned beneath the SUV, according to authorities. Police responding to the scene reportedly had difficulty shifting the vehicle’s gears to free him.

Authorities also allege Roman attempted to flee after the collision but stopped when a bystander in the parking lot drew a concealed firearm and ordered her to remain at the scene. Multiple witnesses, including an off-duty police detective, reported seeing the incident.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Roman was described as visibly distraught, rocking back and forth and crying in the courtroom.

The judge determined there was sufficient evidence for the case to proceed and ordered that Roman stand trial before a jury. She is scheduled to return to court for arraignment later this week.