Pacoima murder suspect, accused of shooting ex-girlfriend in front of toddler, takes his own life during Texas police chase
A 46-year-old man wanted for allegedly shooting his ex-girlfriend to death in front of their 3-year-old daughter in Pacoima killed himself while being pursued by authorities in Texas, officials said Saturday.
Herbert Nixon Flores shot himself with a handgun as officers were closing in on him, the Irving Police Department said in a statement. The officers were assisting in an investigation by the FBI's Fugitive Task Force from Los Angeles at the time of the confrontation.
Investigators learned that Flores was visiting family in Irving, and that city's police located him in nearby Arlington.
"While officers were monitoring the location, Flores was seen getting inside a vehicle and began traveling towards Dallas," a news release said. "With the assistance of Dallas Police Air Unit and ground units, Flores's movements were tracked until marked police cars were in the area."
When the suspect realized he was being followed, authorities said, he abandoned his vehicle and began walking.
"Once Flores saw marked police cars pulling up on him, he killed himself with one self-inflicted gunshot wound from a handgun," the statement said.
Flores was suspected of killing 35-year-old Karen Ruiz, whose death was captured on surveillance video by a Pacoima home's security camera.
LAPD officers responded at 9:35 a.m. Wednesday to a call of a shooting in the 9000 block of Bartee Avenue, where Ruiz was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, the Los Angeles Police Department said. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The security footage shows Ruiz running from her attacker in front of the home. A few seconds later, the man chasing her fires multiple shots, killing Ruiz in front of her 3-year-old daughter.
According to the LAPD, Ruiz drove to Arleta morning to drop off her daughter at a babysitter's house. Investigators say Flores followed Ruiz to the residence.
