A tragic event unfolded in southeast Austin, as a man is accused of the fatal shooting of the mother of his children and her boyfriend early Monday, before fleeing with three children. CBS Austin reports that the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Sherles Gregorio Machado-Hernandez, was apprehended on Monday following a statewide AMBER Alert for the missing children.
According to detectives who reviewed surveillance footage, a gray SUV approached the victims' white GMC around 3:25 a.m. It was discovered by a neighbor as he was heading to work at around 7:30 a.m., that both victims, 27-year-old Francis Kaina Anseume Corredor and 19-year-old Bryan Florentino Flores Alvarez, had been shot. At the time, Machado-Hernandez, who is the common-law husband to Corredor and father to two of the children, was nowhere to be found.
Following the issuance of the AMBER Alert, a family member directed the police to the children's location. "The primary focus of the investigation turned to the well-being of those children, locating them and ensuring their safety," Detective Adam Curvin said in a press conference covered by CBS Austin. The children were found unharmed, an outcome that brought some relief amidst the tragic circumstances of the case.
In a message to the public, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis sharply criticized the suspect, saying, “We have a coward who killed the mother of his children and left three children motherless." Machado-Hernandez managed to switch vehicles during his evasion but was eventually located hiding in the backseat of a black Kia SUV driven by his brother, the authorities mentioned, at the time not yet charged. He now faces capital murder charges and has been booked into Travis County Jail.
Additional information released in an update from the City of Austin confirmed that the children were safe. Earlier reports described Machado-Hernandez as Hispanic, 5’9” tall, and weighing approximately 160 lbs., and stressed that he should be considered armed and dangerous. Public advice was clear: if seen, do not approach; call 9-1-1. This instruction remains valid for anyone who might encounter individuals fitting the description or who has knowledge of Machado-Hernandez's whereabouts.
