A Texas man has been arrested and charged with murder after allegedly bragging about shooting a mother of four in the head during a road rage incident, causing her car to crash into a ditch, according to police.
Nicholas Hernandez was taken into custody on Thursday in connection with the Nov. 8 fatal shooting of 31-year-old Julie Marie Butcher, who was shot in the head while driving near Rittiman Road and Interstate 35 North at around 9:30 p.m, according to NBC15.
The gunshot caused Butcher to lose control of her vehicle, which crashed and rolled into a ditch. Authorities found her body there shortly after.
A witness reported seeing Hernandez, 24, pull up next to Butcher's vehicle, open fire, and then speed off, according to the arrest affidavit. Butcher's car veered off the road, crashing into a ditch.
Two days following the shooting, an anonymous tip led investigators to Hernandez as a suspect. The tipster said Hernandez had confessed to a friend, admitting he was responsible for the shooting and that he had been driving a Volkswagen Jetta at the time of the incident.
Further investigation revealed that Hernandez had filed a robbery report with San Antonio police the day before Butcher's death. In the report, Hernandez claimed an unknown man had stolen his Beretta 9mm handgun, duffle bag, and an orange Spalding "Evolution" basketball. The robbery was reported around 15 hours after Butcher was shot.
A witness also came forward, stating that Hernandez had called her just after the shooting, claiming he had been involved in a road rage incident. Police confirmed this account through phone records. Another witness confirmed Hernandez's story.
During a search of Hernandez's home, investigators found the stolen items, an orange basketball and black duffle bag, matching those he had reported missing in his earlier robbery claim.
Additionally, a fourth witness told authorities that Hernandez had called him the night of the shooting, asking him to dispose of two 9mm shell casings. Police later seized Hernandez's silver Volkswagen Jetta, which matched the description of the car seen fleeing the scene. Phone records also confirmed Hernandez's presence in the area at the time of the shooting.
