Man accused of killing three family members said they were intruders, Texas cops say

A Texas man claimed self-defense after three people were found dead with gunshot wounds at his apartment, but now he’s accused of killing family members, according to Houston police.

Officers responded to the home on Houston’s northwest side at 3:17 p.m. Saturday, June 22, after the tenant called 911, Assistant Chief Wyatt Martin said at a news briefing. During the call, the tenant said he shot three people who he said were breaking into his apartment, according to Martin.

When police arrived, they found two women and a man dead at the scene, officials said, adding that all three were seemingly shot to death with a handgun.

The man, later identified as 27-year-old Bryan J. Fernandez Hernandez, surrendered to police at the scene and was taken into custody, Martin said.

Martin told reporters that there was no evidence of forced entry, but that didn’t necessarily indicate a home invasion hadn’t taken place. Police had responded to the apartment twice in the past for mental health-related calls, according to Martin.

Initially, it was unknown what relationship, if any, existed between the alleged intruders and the man — but investigators learned all three were his family members, according to a June 23 news release.

Now, he is charged with murder in the deaths of the two women, ages 65 and 43, and a 38-year-old man, police said.

“It was learned the older female family member lived in the apartment and the two other family members had been staying there and visiting for several days,” police said.

Officials did not publicly identify the victims and it’s unclear what may have motivated the killings.