McGregor mass shooter has been in the U.S. illegally since he was 18: district attorney
Mexican consulate representative present at hearings for accused mass murderer Nicolas Jaimes-Hernandez
WACO, Texas (KWTX) - The trial of an undocumented immigrant found not competent to stand trial in the capital murders of five people in McGregor, Texas, including two children and a young nursing student once crowned “Miss McGregor,” could cost taxpayers millions of dollars, McLennan County District Attorney Josh Tetens says.
Tetens comments come on the heels of a competency hearing Tuesday for Nicolas Jaimes-Hernandez, 36. The Mexican national has been living illegally in the U.S. since he was 18, Tetens confirmed.
Jaimes-Hernandez is charged with capital murder in the shooting deaths of Monica Aviles and her teenage children, Miguel and Natalie Avila, inside their home where Hernandez lived.
Two other innocent people who lived next door were also gunned down.
Lori Aviles was simply taking out her trash when she was shot and killed and her daughter Natalie Aviles, 20, had her backpack on the front porch as she was leaving for school when she was murdered.
Natalie Aviles was known as a driven and intelligent young woman. She was a former “Miss McGregor” and was described by fellow nursing students at Temple College as “a beautiful soul” who always had “the biggest smile.”
District Attorney Josh Tetens confirmed the illegal status of the suspect to KWTX and said the trial could cost US taxpayers millions of dollars.
“Experts cost thousands of dollars, defense cost thousands of dollars. The state is responsible for future appeals, which will cost thousands of dollars. Over the case’s entirety it could definitely be in the millions and could take decades,” Tetens said.
Tetens also confirmed that Mexico has sent over a consulate representative to be present for the hearings, which he believes is standard practice. The representative has been present in the courtroom for multiple hearings related to the murders.
At least two sources with information about the case who did not want to be identified told KWTX that Jaimes-Hernandez had been pulled over by police for a traffic stop but was let go prior to the murders. KWTX is working to learn more about the traffic stop and why Jaimes-Hernandez was not taken into custody then.
The murders happened shortly after 7:30 a.m. at a residence in the 900 block of Monroe on Sept. 29, 2022, in McGregor.
A criminal complaint states authorities were alerted by the victim of a drive-by shooting near the scene of the murders.
The neighbor said he witnessed Jaimes-Hernandez pull up to his home in the 800 block of Monroe in a gray Chevrolet pickup. The suspect allegedly fired several rounds at the neighbor from inside the pickup. The neighbor was not wounded and immediately called police to report the drive-by shooting.
Later, the shooter was shot by McGregor police and taken to the hospital.
Jaimes-Hernandez, paralyzed after the shootout with police, will remain under an immigration detainer, which means Immigration and Customs Enforcement would take him into custody if he is released from jail for any reason.
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