Mother of Houston woman injured in Charlottesville car-ramming speaks

HOUSTON – The mother of a Houston woman who was injured when a car was driven into a crowd of protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday spoke to the media Monday.

Natalie Romero, 20, a Bellaire High School graduate and a sophomore at the University of Virginia, was among 19 people injured in the crash. She suffered extensive injuries, including a fractured skull.

Heather Heyer, 32, of Virginia, was killed.

The driver of the car, identified by authorities as James Alex Fields Jr., 20, of Ohio, was arrested in connection with the fatal incident

WATCH: Mother of victim speaks

Romero’s mother, Ericka Chaves, and members of the group Immigrant Families and Students in the Struggle, also known as FIEL, held a news conference Monday to discuss the incident.

"I just said, 'I love you.' That's all. 'I love you and I want you home and just don't cry.' That's all I said to her," Chaves said.

PHOTOS of Natalie Romero

Chaves said she knew her daughter was going to the counter protest on Saturday. She said she has extensive injuries including a fractured skull and cuts to her forehead and lip.

Chaves said her daughter was on a full scholarship at the University of Virginia when she was hurt.  Chaves said she knows her daughter will return to Virginia after she fully recovers. 

"As a mother, ... I know her. She will go back. Right now, we haven't talked about it.  That's why I want to have her here. Recover and when she feels better, I can talk to her about it. But I'm pretty sure she's not going to stop. She's going to go back," Chaves said.

Chaves and FIEL are working to bring Romero home with public and private help. 

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Monday that he planned to talk with Chaves and offer whatever help he could. 

Chaves said she wants her daughter home to recover.

"I love you, Natalie. And we want you home," Chaves said.

Download the Click2Houston news app in your app store to stay up-to-date with the latest news while you're on the go.

Sign up for KPRC 2 newsletters to get breaking news, sports, entertainment, contests and more delivered straight to your email inbox.