Houston Police Sergeant Accused Of Shooting, Killing Wife

A sergeant with the Houston Police Department was accused of shooting and killing his wife at their residence in Pearland, Texas. He was arrested Saturday.

The HPD arrested Sgt. Hilario Hernandez just a couple of hours after the body of his wife, Belinda, was found by their daughter in the kitchen. Officers were dispatched to the home in Pearland on Saturday after they received a call. On arrival, the police officers identified Belinda, 52, who was a librarian at the Shadycrest Elementary in the Pearland Independent School District. Hilario was missing from the scene.

Based on the preliminary investigation, a state-wide murder warrant was issued for Hilario by the HPD. He was later found in Kingsville, which was about 100 miles north of the Mexico border.

Investigators are searching for a surveillance video that could help in giving additional details of the shooting. “We are going to conduct business as usual. The law is held accountable for everybody, actually more so for (officers),” Jason Wells, spokesperson for Pearland police said.

The entire block where the couple stayed was taped off. Police also didn't find anyone who either heard a gunshot or witnessed the shooting.

Several neighbors were standing in the area as police investigated and most of them were shocked to hear about the incident. “They seemed like just everyday, normal people,” according to Lucretia Jeansonne, one of the neighbors.

Friends and family of the victim said it was her smile that charmed all the students and their parents at the school where she was working. Calling her an educator who touched her students’ lives, they said they trying to figure out how to get their kids through the loss of Belinda.

“Gave her a hug and you would have never known that anything was wrong, she seemed happy,” a friend told the media. The friend also said Hilario was “absolutely a good dad” to his and Belinda’s two grown-up children. The couple had been married for more than 30 years.

Hilario worked with the Houston Police Department for 33 years and was assigned to the burglary and theft division. His court date was set for Monday. He was being held at the Kleberg County Jail on a first-degree murder charge. Police did not reveal the details of what might have led to the shooting.

“Our condolences and thoughts are with the victim’s family,” a Houston Police spokesperson, Jodi Silva, said.

In a statement to the media, the school district said, “Pearland ISD is deeply saddened to learn of the death of one of our employees, Shadycrest Elementary Librarian Belinda Hernandez. Mrs. Hernandez was a beloved, longtime employee who worked for Pearland ISD for 15 years.”

The school district announced it will provide additional counselors on the campus to help the school children cope with the loss of the librarian.