A 24-year-old man has been accused of shooting and killing a woman in a road rage incident.
Nicholas Hernandez has been charged with murder in the death of Julie Marie Butcher, 31. He was arrested after law enforcement received an anonymous tip, as reported by the San Antonio Express-News.
Butcher was Found Dead Inside Crashed SUV
On Nov. 8, San Antonio police responded to calls of a shooting that had taken place at the 6200 block of Interstate 35 and Rittiman Road.
When they arrived on the scene, they found Butcher, a mother of four, was found with a gunshot wound to the head inside a crashed SUV that had rolled over into the bottom of a ditch, according to an arrest affidavit.
A witness who observed the incident told police that the driver of a blue and silver sedan shot at Butcher before driving away from the scene. Police also obtained surveillance footage that showed the sedan leaving the scene after the shooting.
Police Received a Tip-Off After Hernandez Confessed to a Friend That He Killed Butcher
Two days after the shooting, police received an anonymous tip that said that “Nick Hernandez” confessed to a close friend that he shot Butcher while driving his Volkswagen Jetta. Investigators identified the man described from the tip as Nicholas Hernandez.
A witness told police Hernandez called her around the time of the shooting, stating that he had been involved in a road rage incident, the affidavit states. Investigators confirmed the call and text exchange using phone records.
On Nov. 15, multiple witnesses were contacted by police to provide statements A second witness stated that Hernandez told them that he was involved in a road rage incident where he shot at a car that rolled into a ditch, according to the affidavit.
A third witness stated that Hernandez contacted him on the night of the shooting and asked him to dispose of two 9 mm shell casings that were in his Volkswagen Jetta. On Nov. 22, investigators received Hernandez’s phone records that showed him in the area during and after the shooting.
Hernandez was booked into the Bexar County jail on Thursday. His bail has been set at $250,000, court records show.
GoFundMe for Butcher
A GoFundMe for Butcher’s funeral expenses and her children has so far raised over $8,365. “Julie was known not only for her hard work but also for her selflessness, always placing the needs of others first,” the GoFundMe states.
In her obituary, Butcher’s family described her as a “treasured part of her family, bringing joy and kindness to each gathering, and her laughter and presence will be dearly missed.”
