SAPD: Man accidentally shot himself with stolen gun

Joe Hernandez, 17, charged with firearm theft

SAN ANTONIO – Joe Hernandez, 17, is accused of stealing guns from someone else's car, then shooting himself while playing with one of those weapons.

An arrest warrant affidavit stated that San Antonio police responded to a call from a home on the Northwest side and found Hernandez suffering from a gunshot wound to the stomach. Officers later determined that the wound was self-inflicted.

While they were handling that incident, officers received another call about a car burglary at a home in the 3300 block of Rock Creek Run, about a block from the shooting scene.

The affidavit stated that the car owner reported that, among other things, the thief had taken two handguns from his vehicle.

Investigators spoke with a friend of Hernandez who told them that Hernandez had broken into that car and stolen the weapons, the affidavit stated. The friend said that Hernandez shot himself while "messing around" with one of the guns in his home, the affidavit stated.

Police obtained a warrant for Hernandez's arrest in January and took him into custody Tuesday. He is charged with two counts of theft of a firearm.


About the Author:

Katrina Webber joined KSAT 12 in December 2009. She reports for Good Morning San Antonio. Katrina was born and raised in Queens, NY, but after living in Gulf Coast states for the past decade, she feels right at home in Texas. It's not unusual to find her singing karaoke or leading a song with her church choir when she's not on-air.