15-year-old boy charged with murdering his father; family says it was self-defense

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A 15-year-old is charged with murdering his father, but the boy's family says it's a case of self-defense.

On May 5 around 3:45 a.m., police say officers responded to a family disturbance on the 21400 block of Sagrantino Court in west Harris County after a woman called 911.

The sheriff's office says there was an altercation between the woman's estranged husband, 35-year-old Samson Hernandez, who no longer lived at the home, and her boyfriend.

During the altercation, the sheriff's office says the fight spilled into the front yard, Hernandez's son intervened, and put his father in a chokehold until police arrived. But Hernandez died from the chokehold, and Thursday, his son was charged with murder.

"He was hoping he would just hold him there until the police got there and I guess he didn't realize the adrenaline and his own strength," said the teen's great-aunt Kandice Stofel, who we should note was not there during the incident.

Stofel said the family was shocked by the murder charge filed Thursday, and that the teen was simply trying to protect his mom.

"We figured and thought it was a clear-cut case of self-defense for his mom," Stofel said. "I'm still wrapping my head around that it is murder."

Stofel said neither the sheriff's office nor the district attorney's office has explained yet why there is a murder charge. She thought if they charged the 15-year-old with anything, it would be manslaughter.

The sheriff's office said the facts of the case were presented to the district attorney's office, which brought the murder charge. The agency declined to provide additional details on the case since the defendant is a juvenile.

"He has no juvenile record, no past issues with law enforcement," Stofel said. "Kid doesn't do drugs, doesn't drink."

The 15-year-old is in the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center as of Friday night, waiting for his first court appearance.