Suspect reportedly at Dallas hospital for baby’s birth; police identify 2 hospital employees killed

DALLAS — The suspect in the deadly shooting at a Dallas, Texas, hospital over the weekend was reportedly there for the birth of his girlfriend’s baby.

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According to The Associated Press, police and the Dallas County medical examiner’s office identified the two hospital employees who were killed on Saturday as Jacqueline Pokuaa, 45, and Katie Flowers, 63.

According to a news release from the Dallas Police Department, Nestor Hernandez, 30, had arrived at Methodist Dallas Medical Center to see a patient in the maternity ward.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by WFAA, per the AP, Hernandez was at the hospital for the birth of a child by his girlfriend. He was on parole from prison and was permitted to be at the hospital with an ankle monitor on.

It was learned that Hernandez allegedly pulled a handgun on the patient and hit them multiple times. After that, an employee at the hospital, Pokuaa, went into the room to check on the patient as part of routine operations. While she was in there, Hernandez allegedly stood up, moved toward Pokuaa, and shot her once. DPD said Methodist Medical System Sergeant Robert Rangel was in the area on another call at the time of the shooting.

DPD said that another employee at the hospital, Flowers, heard the shot and looked into the patient’s room, which is when Hernandez allegedly shot the gun again, hitting Flowers. Rangel saw Flowers get shot, took cover and called for assistance.

According to DPD, it was believed that Hernandez had allegedly reloaded his gun and started to leave the room. Rangel fired one shot from his department-issued weapon, hitting Hernandez in the leg. This was when he went back into the room. A standoff was reported, but Hernandez was eventually taken into custody.

DPD said both Pokuaa and Flowers died from their injuries.

According to DPD, the newborn child in the room during the shooting was not injured. No DPD officers were injured or used their weapons but did assist in taking Hernandez into custody.

Hernandez was treated at Methodist Hospital before being transferred to another hospital in the area. He has been charged with capital murder, according to DPD.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokeswoman told the AP that Hernandez was released from prison on parole last October after a conviction for aggravated robbery. He was given permission to visit the hospital for the baby’s birth.

According to the AP, Hernandez was arrested in March 2022 for a parole violation and released to his parole officer about a month later. He was arrested in June 2022 for another parole violation and was turned over to the custody of the Texas prisons. Hernandez was released in September with the ankle monitor. According to Dallas County records obtained by the AP, Hernandez has been arrested repeatedly since 2011 on charges including for aggravated robbery, burglary and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

No information has been released about how Hernandez obtained a gun while on parole, according to the AP.

The investigation into the officer-involved shooting and the homicide investigations are ongoing, and no further information has been released, DPD said.

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