Opinion ID: 2603715
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Hernandez' Story

Text: Hernandez testified that he had known Bierman about a year. He had seen her one to three times a month. They were not dating. He saw her for sexual relations. On February 18, 1989, Hernandez was living with Owens and Owens' girlfriend, Tambi Lewis. On that day, he phoned Bierman between 5:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. They agreed to see each other. Owens was driving Hernandez to Bierman's residence in Lewis' car. They stopped and called Bierman, who did not object to Owens coming along. They arrived at Bierman's house at approximately 6:30 p.m. After 20 to 25 minutes, Owens, Hernandez, Bierman, and Bierman's two children drove to a babysitter and left the children. After driving around for a while, the three returned to the Bierman residence, parked in the garage, and then entered the basement apartment. Syndi's car and two others were at the house. Bierman used the phone as an intercom and talked to Syndi upstairs to see who was there. Bierman did not want Syndi to know she had two guys downstairs. According to Hernandez, they then had three-way bondage sex. Afterward, Hernandez and Owens suggested that they steal things from Bierman's parents' house. Bierman said she did not care. Hernandez admitted that he and Owens had talked earlier about stealing from the Biermans' house. Shortly before midnight, Owens, Hernandez, and Bierman left the Bierman home. Owens drove Lewis' car back to his apartment. Bierman and Hernandez used Bierman's car to pick up her children. They took the children to Owens' apartment. Bierman left the children with Lewis and Tina Reilly, a 15-year-old runaway, while Hernandez, Owens, and Bierman proceeded back to the Bierman home. Hernandez testified that Bierman directed them to a construction site to pick up two-by-fours in case they had to knock someone out. Bierman said that only her sister would be home and that if they were quiet they would not wake her up; they could just take the things and leave. Upon arriving, Hernandez tried to go downstairs while Owens and Bierman went upstairs. The basement door was locked so Hernandez followed Owens and Bierman upstairs. Hernandez and Owens each carried a two-by-four. Bierman stomped on the way up the stairs to make noise. They were outside Syndi's bedroom. The bedroom door was open. Syndi began to wake up and asked who was there. Hernandez hit Syndi three or four times with a two-by-four. Owens hit her two or three times with a two-by-four. Owens' two-by-four had nails in it. Syndi rolled off the bed and began screaming. Hernandez pushed a pillow over her face. Owens hit her on the head. Hernandez moved downstairs and gathered up things to take from the home. Hernandez heard Owens tell Bierman to get her. Bierman said, You fucking bitch. Then he heard a thump. Owens told Bierman to get some knives. Bierman left and returned to the bedroom from downstairs with two knives. Hernandez denied cutting or stabbing Syndi or being present while anyone cut or stabbed her. Four kitchen-type butcher knives were introduced as exhibits by the State. Blood was on the knife found on the floor in Syndi's bedroom, and on the knife found under the dining room table. The blood could have been Syndi's or Bierman's; analysis excluded Owens' blood as well as that of Hernandez. Hernandez testified that he kicked open the locked basement door and unplugged the computer and printer. Bierman was still upstairs. Hernandez, Owens, and Bierman took a computer, printer, VCR, camera, two watches, tapes, a mirror, and $60. Hernandez identified the stolen property recovered from Owens' apartment. All three helped load the car. They took the two-by-fours with them. Bierman, Owens, and Hernandez moved the stolen property and the two-by-fours into Owens' apartment. Lewis, Reilly, and Bierman's children were there. Hernandez went to a downstairs apartment and asked Tina Buck and some other girl how to get blood off of his shoes. Bierman told him to shut up and come upstairs. Hernandez told her to go home and call the police. Bierman left with her children. He stated that he never threatened Bierman. The last thing Bierman said to Hernandez was, I'll talk to you later.