Dallas Man, Nestor Hernandez, Sentenced to Life for Hospital Shooting That Claimed Two Lives

A jury in Dallas County found Nestor Hernandez guilty of capital murder in 2023.

He was sentenced for shooting and killing two workers at Methodist Dallas Medical Center.

Hernandez, who is 31 years old, killed 45-year-old social worker Jacqueline Pokuaa and 63-year-old nurse Katie “Annette” Flowers on October 22, 2022.

Prosecutors decided not to pursue the death penalty, but Hernandez will spend the rest of his life in prison without any chance of getting out.

He was also charged with two separate counts of aggravated assault tied to the shooting.

The Shooting

Hernandez had been released on parole for aggravated robbery in 2021 and was wearing an ankle monitor. 

However, officials said he was allowed to be at the hospital where his girlfriend, Selena Villatoro, was having their baby.

Hospital security cameras showed Hernandez walking into the maternity ward holding a Steel Reserve beer can.

His girlfriend said that when Hernandez got to her room, they argued, and things quickly got out of hand.

He accused her of cheating and claimed someone was hiding in the hospital room. 

That's when Hernandez hit her on the head with a gun.

Selena said he then threatened to kill both of them and anyone else who came into the room.

When Pokuaa came in to check on Selena, Hernandez walked up behind her and shot her in the back of the head.

Selena said he then reloaded the pistol.

Body camera footage shows that after the gunshot, an officer and the second victim, Flowers, went toward the sound. 

Hernandez then fired twice at them, hitting Flowers in the face.

The officer said he briefly made eye contact with Hernandez and moments later shot him in the leg through the doorway.

He tried to convince Hernandez to drop the gun and let the others in the room go, but Hernandez said there was no way that would happen.

In the background, a woman could be heard screaming as Hernandez demanded the baby.

In his testimony, Hernandez said the shootings were accidental and that his pistol went off during a physical fight with his girlfriend. 

He claimed that Pokuaa, who was trying to break up the fight, was shot by mistake.

He said he fired into the hallway only to create a distraction and didn’t realize he had hit Flowers.

Hernandez’s attorneys didn't claim he was innocent but emphasized that he didn’t intentionally shoot and kill the women.

Hernandez was convicted of multiple felonies before the alleged shooting, including robbery, burglary of a habitation and possession of a controlled substance.

Hernandez was also accused of six ankle monitor violations, but two of these were cleared up because of equipment or scheduling errors. 

 Hernandez was given a life sentence in prison without parole, at a later court hearing.

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