A Texas man, Alberto Joshua Hernandez, 22, is facing serious charges after allegedly holding a driver hostage at gunpoint, forcing him to bury his pet dog that the driver had accidentally run over. The incident occurred in Mineola on September 8, when the driver had pulled over to fix his bumper after hitting the dog.
According to police reports, Hernandez pulled up behind the driver’s vehicle, brandishing an automatic pistol. He then allegedly forced the driver to retrieve the dog’s body from a nearby ditch and carry it to his yard. The driver reported that Hernandez threatened him, saying, “I should shoot you now for it.”
Hernandez then reportedly took the driver’s keys and phone, keeping the gun trained on him as he ordered him to dig a grave for the dog. After the dog was buried, Hernandez allegedly went back inside his house and returned with an AR-style rifle with two magazines.
The ordeal didn’t end there. Hernandez allegedly forced the driver to drive him to an ATM to withdraw cash as compensation for the dog’s life. The driver, who said he was “scared to death,” withdrew $200 with Hernandez allegedly pointing the gun at him from the passenger seat. Hernandez also allegedly took a photo of the driver’s license, telling him he knew where he lived.
Police say video footage from the ATM corroborates the driver’s account, showing him withdrawing money and handing it to a passenger who was holding a gun. The driver later identified Hernandez as the suspect in a police lineup on September 19. Hernandez’s mother also testified that she had seen him with the rifle on the day of the incident.
Hernandez was arrested in Mineola on Thursday and charged with aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping, and drug charges. He is currently being held in the Wood County Jail on a total bond of $660,000.