HOUSTON – Bond has been raised to nearly $1 million for a suspected drunken driver charged in the death of a 6-year-old child in southwest Houston.
Pedro Alberto Hernandez, 52, was charged with murder and driving while intoxicated, which is his third DWI offense, according to court records.
A judge initially set his bond at a combined $600,000, but on Tuesday, it was raised to a combined total of $950,000; with $850,000 for the murder charge and $100,000 for the DWI.
What happened?
The incident was reported around 6 p.m. Saturday in the 9700 block of Leawood near Elmcroft.
Hernandez is accused of striking a 6-year-old boy with his vehicle outside a laundromat on Leawood Blvd. According to court documents, the boy was walking across the parking lot with his grandfather when he was struck. The grandfather yelled at Hernandez, who allegedly stopped, backed up, and ran over the child again. The grandfather yelled at Hernandez again. Court documents say Hernandez drove forward and ran over the child a third time.
The grandfather told police Hernandez smirked at him and tried to drive away. Officials say the grandfather pulled Hernandez out of his car and pinned him against the hood until officers arrived.
Hernandez admitted to drinking four 16-ounce beers while sitting in his car at work before driving to the washateria to meet someone who owed him money. He told authorities he did not see anyone in the parking lot when he struck the little boy.
According to court documents, Hernandez spent 30 days in jail back in 2015 for a DWI. A year later, he was convicted of a DWI in Freestone County, and in 2020, he was convicted of a third DWI in Fort Bend County. Hernandez is still serving five years probation for the 2020 DWI conviction, according to court records.
Earlier on Saturday, a 1-year-old was also hit and killed by a vehicle in southwest Houston.
SEE ALSO: 1-year-old killed in hit-and-run in SW Houston, HPD says; 1 person detained