Authorities have stated that a man fatally shot two hospital employees in Dallas over the weekend, allegedly due to accusations of infidelity towards his girlfriend.
Police and hospital officials report that Jacqueline Pokuaa, a social worker aged 45, and Katie Annette Flowers, a nurse aged 63, lost their lives in the shooting incident that occurred at Methodist Dallas Medical Center on Saturday.
Authorities reported that Nestor Hernandez, a 30-year-old individual, began shooting at approximately 11 a.M. While present at the hospital for the arrival of his girlfriend’s newborn. The aforementioned authorities stated that Hernandez, who was on parole from incarceration and had been given consent to be at the hospital while utilizing an ankle monitor, was injured by a law enforcement officer’s gunfire.
According to Dallas Chief of Police Eddie Garcia, it is a failure of our criminal justice system that an individual with a history of violence like this should be allowed to remain in custody without being monitored with an ankle bracelet.
After receiving additional medical care and being transported to Methodist hospital, he was treated for the gunshot wound. Authorities stated that he was not included in the list of individuals detained at the Dallas County jail. It is uncertain whether he has legal representation, as his attorney’s identity was not disclosed on Monday. Hernandez has been formally accused of committing capital murder.
According to an affidavit obtained by WFAA-TV, Hernandez arrived at the hospital around 10:20 a.M. After his girlfriend accused him of infidelity. Garcia stated that Hernandez began repeatedly striking her in the head with a handgun and started visiting the woman in delivery.
Garcia stated that he fired at Flowers after she glanced into the chamber upon hearing gunshots. He aimed at Pokuaa when she entered the room to aid the woman. As stated in the affidavit reported by Dallas TV station, Hernandez subsequently began making “threatening” phone calls and sending text messages to his family. He informed his girlfriend that they would both perish and declared that “anyone who enters this room will perish alongside us.”
Sergeant Robert Rangel, hospital law enforcement, witnessed Flowers being shot, requested additional assistance, and sought refuge outside the area where Hernandez was reloading his firearm, according to the chief. Rangel discharged his weapon, injuring Hernandez’s leg, when Hernandez appeared, and following a period of negotiation, law enforcement apprehended him, as stated by Garcia.
Garcia stated that the woman Hernandez hit received medical attention for her wounds, and fortunately, the infant who was present in the room emerged unharmed.
Amanda Hernandez, representative for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, expressed that Hernandez was set free from incarceration on parole in October of the previous year subsequent to being found guilty of aggravated robbery. She mentioned that he was authorized to accompany his “important companion” at the medical facility while she gave birth.
Authorities have not disclosed any details regarding how Hernandez obtained a firearm while being on parole for a previous felony conviction. On Monday, Glen Fowler, the Police Chief of Methodist Medical System, stated that the hospital was not informed about his criminal record or the fact that he was being monitored via an ankle bracelet.
Fowler stated, “As parents, we usually ask about something that is not like this.” “This is an extremely horrific and abnormal situation. We do not have the information that was given to us beforehand, but I wish we knew that.”