Dallas Methodist shooting trial: Suspect Nestor Hernandez claims shootings were unintentional
DALLAS - The state and defense rested its case Wednesday in the trial for the man accused of shooting and killing two healthcare workers at Methodist Dallas Medical Center.
Nestor Hernandez, 31, is accused of capital murder for the shooting deaths of Jacqueline Pokuaa and Katie Annette Flowers in the mother/baby unit on Oct. 22, 2022.
The second day of testimony focused mostly on expert witnesses, who used DNA evidence, gun shot residue and more to discuss the shooting.
In a surprise move, Hernandez decided to take the stand in his own defense, where he admitted on the stand he was high, he was drinking, and he planned to confront the mother of his child because he thought she gave him an STD.
He said that his ex-girlfriend, Selena Villatoro, had a rocky relationship and accused her of cheating on him.
Hernandez said, the day of the shooting, he went to the hospital expecting to sign the baby's birth certificate.
The testimony from Hernandez was filled with bad language and filled with claims that are hard to believe.
He admitted he opened fire, but Hernandez said he fired on accident and that he wasn't aiming for either of the victims.
What he did admit to doing, on purpose, was hitting and pistol-whipping his ex with his baby in the hospital room.
He claimed he had placed a pistol in Villatoro's bag the day before and only grabbed it because he had a buyer and was planning to sell it. Not because he intended to use it to harm anyone. He refused to tell prosecutors who he got his gun from, only saying he bought it for $200 from someone at a McDonald’s and had planned to sell it.
When he got to the hospital room he said he began arguing with Villatoro and got into a physical fight with her.
Hernandez described the relationship with his at-the-time girlfriend as "rocky." He testified he accidentally shot and killed the two women at the hospital during a fight with his ex.
"It was going 100 miles per hour," Hernandez testified. "It’s not what I want to believe. It’s the truth."
Hernandez testified he was coming down from a methamphetamine high and had been drinking alcohol. He began fighting with villatoro.
Hernandez believed she was cheating on him and may have given him a sexually transmitted disease.
"I knew it was something wrong. I didn’t know exactly what it was," he said.
Hernandez said Pokuaa entered the room and Villatoro asked that he be removed.
"She was like, ‘I don’t want him here. This ain’t even his baby.’ So I slapped her," he said.
He claimed Pokuaa got in between the two tried to break up the fight and the gun in his hand went off.
Hernandez said he had no intention of shooting her.
[LAWYER: "Did you point the gun at her with any intention of shooting the gun and killing her?"]
"No sir," Hernandez said.
Dallas Methodist shooting suspect questioned
Prosecutors lobbed a series of questions at Nestor Hernandez about his claims that he did not intentionally mean to kill Jacqueline Pokuaa and Katie Annette Flowers at Methodist Dallas Medical Center. Hernandez claimed the gun accidentally went off in the Dallas hospital shooting.
Hernandez’s testimony contradicts Villatoro’s, when she said that Hernandez said she was going to die and anyone who walked in the room would die.
Villatoro said Hernandez shot Pokuaa as soon as she entered the room before shooting nurse Flowers, who was in the hallway.
Hernandez claims he was in a state of panic when he fired the gun into the hallway and that he did not know anyone else was out there and did not see Flowers.
"I didn't even look outside," he said.
[DEFENSE ATTORNEY: "What was the purpose of that?"]
"I was just panicked, I just shot somebody. I was just real panicked," Hernandez replied.
On cross-examination, Hernandez said he had done methamphetamine a few days prior to the shooting, but was "coming down" on the day of the shooting.
Prosecutors questioned the convicted violent offender about his claims that the gun went off accidentally.
[PROSECUTOR: "You killed both of those women that day, didn't you?"]
"I did, but not intentionally, sir," he replied.
Hernandez's lawyers don't dispute that he is the one who pulled the trigger, but is asking the jury to find him guilty of murder instead of capital murder.
Methodist Police Sgt. Robert Rangel was nearby and shot Hernandez in the leg.
"I jumped back into the room and I looked down and was like, ‘They shot me.’ I was like, ‘Damn ,they shot me," Hernandez said.
Prosecutors played Rangel’s body camera footage, highlighting how Hernandez was not cooperating.
"Partner, we can work this out man, trust me," Rangel is heard saying on the video
"Nah, ain’t no way working s*** out, bro," Hernandez responded.
Hernandez is a convicted felon who was on parole for robbery.
On Tuesday, Villatoro took the stand.
Dallas Methodist shooting trial: Day One Recap
31-year-old Nestor Hernandez is charged with capital murder in the shooting of social worker Jacqueline Pokuaa and nurse Katie Annette Flowers in Oct. 2022. Testimony got underway on Tuesday with Hernandez's ex-girlfriend and the officer who shot him sharing their stories with the jury.
Villatoro had just given birth on the day of the shooting and Hernandez, a convicted felon with an ankle monitor, had been given permission to see her.
Villatoro said Hernandez went into a rage because he believed she had cheated on him.
She then described social worker Jacqueline Pokuaa entering the room to check on the new mother and Hernandez shooting and killing her.
Dallas Methodist Shooting Trial: Defendant's ex on stand
Nestor Hernandez's ex-girlfriend, Selena Villatoro, was called to the stand on the first day of the trial. Villatoro had just given birth at the time of the shooting. She described the moments leading up to Hernandez allegedly shooting two healthcare workers at Methodist Dallas Medical Center.
Nurse Katie Annette Flowers went to investigate the sound.
She was shot by Hernandez as well.
A Methodist police sergeant Robert Rangel who happened to be in the hallway testified that he shot Hernandez when he saw him try to walk out of the room with a pistol.
Dallas Methodist Shooting Trial: Officer takes stand
Methodist police officer Robert Rangel takes the stand in Day 1 of the trial of Nestor Hernandez. Rangel was in the area at the time of the shooting and responded by shooting Hernandez in the leg. Hernandez is on trial for the deadly shooting of healthcare workers Jacqueline Pokuaa and Katie Annette Flowers. (NOTE: A portion of testimony which involved playing graphic body camera video was cut out of this clip)
"I fired at that time because I feared for my life. I feared that if he came out of that room he was going to try to shoot more people," said Rangel.
Police eventually went into the room and arrested Hernandez.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Dallas Methodist shooting trial: Witnesses, accused shooter's ex-girlfriend, responding officer take stand
- 2 hospital employees killed in shooting at Methodist Hospital in Dallas, suspect in custody
- Suspect charged with murdering 2 healthcare workers at Dallas hospital has a long criminal history
- Dallas hospital shooting suspect accused girlfriend of cheating before killing 2 workers, affidavit says
- Friends, family of Dallas hospital shooting victim remember their 'angel on earth'
- Methodist Hospital shooter walked into young mother’s room before deadly rampage
- Officer's response to Dallas Methodist hospital shooting was 'superb,' police expert says
- Dallas Methodist Hospital shooting: What has changed one year later
Hernandez faces life in prison if found guilty of capital murder.
On Thursday, the court's charge will be read, followed by closing arguments and jury deliberation.
The proceedings are expected to start at 9 a.m.