SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police arrested a man in connection with a fatal road rage shooting on the Northeast Side earlier this month, according to court documents.
Authorities responded to a shooting just before 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 8 on the Interstate 35 southbound access road between Eisenhauer Road and Rittiman Road.
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That’s when San Antonio police officers found Julie Marie Butcher, 31, shot in the head inside the vehicle.
Police said Butcher’s vehicle was rolled over before coming to a stop. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, a witness told authorities they saw a small blue and silver sedan shoot at Butcher’s vehicle.
Surveillance footage captured the fleeing vehicle’s description after the shooting, the affidavit stated.
An anonymous tipster provided details of a man named “Nick Hernandez” who confessed to a close friend that he was the shooter and drove a Volkswagen Jetta on Nov. 10, authorities said.
Police later identified the man as Nicholas Hernandez, 24.
After Hernandez was identified, police found out he had reported a robbery incident about 15 hours after Butcher was killed. Hernandez said the robbery happened on Nov. 6, the affidavit stated.
Hernandez claimed he was robbed by a man while playing basketball. He said his Beretta 9mm handgun, black duffle bag and basketball was stolen, the affidavit stated.
On Nov. 12, a witness reported receiving a phone call around the time of the shooting in which Hernandez admitted to the witness he was involved in a road rage incident, authorities said.
A search warrant was then issued to search Hernandez’s home.
Police found the black duffle bag and the basketball he had reported stolen, according to the affidavit.
On Nov. 15, three additional witnesses were contacted to provide statements, police said.
The second witness told police that he was playing basketball with Hernandez and other friends when Hernandez claimed the robbery happened. However, he gave a different location than Hernandez’s account of the incident, the affidavit stated.
He also said Hernandez never mentioned the robbery while they were together.
The third witness told authorities Hernandez confessed to being involved in a road rage incident that resulted in a shooting and caused Butcher’s vehicle to roll into a ditch, the affidavit stated.
The final witness told police that Hernandez came to his home and asked him to dispose two 9mm shell casings he removed from his Volkswagen Jetta, authorities said.
Hernandez’s vehicle was later seized after a search warrant was issued.
On Nov. 22, police received Hernandez’s phone records that showed his phone was at the approximate location at the time of the shooting, the affidavit said.
Records also showed that the Volkswagen Jetta was at the approximate location of the final witness’ home after the shooting.
Hernandez was arrested on Nov. 27 and is charged with murder.
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