A 31‑year‑old Texan, David Elijah Herrera, faces capital‑murder charges for allegedly shooting his ex‑girlfriend and her boyfriend in their driveway just after they dropped off their 4‑year‑old son at school.
According to a Houston Police Department release, officers arrived at a residence on Lindale Street around 8:15 a.m. on Oct. 5 and discovered a man and a woman with multiple gunshot wounds. Houston Fire Department medics pronounced both victims dead at the scene.
Police identified Herrera as the suspect and took him into custody in Liberty County a short time later. A magistrate judge denied bond, noting that Herrera “shot and killed his ex‑girlfriend and her new boyfriend” and later confessed to the murders.
Family members told Houston CBS affiliate KHOU that Cardona had ended her relationship with Herrera about a month earlier and had recently reunited with Von Gerbitz, the father of her young son. The family said Von Gerbitz received a threat from Herrera the night before the killings.
Blanca Gerbitz, Erick Von Gerbitz’s mother, explained that her son had moved back to Houston from Amarillo hoping to reunite his family. She drove him home two weeks before the tragedy because she feared for his safety.
“I told him, ‘I’ve had a bad feeling, son, and that’s why I brought you home,’” Blanca recalled.
Blanca added that her son called Sunday night to report that Herrera had threatened to kill him. Von Gerbitz recounted their attempt to get help: “I called 911 at 11:00 and they never came… It’s been four hours, and they never came.”
Lisa Leal, Von Gerbitz’s sister, reviewed security footage from her brother’s home. The video showed the couple returning after school to find Herrera waiting. When Von Gerbitz demanded Herrera leave, Herrera opened fire.
Investigators are treating the shooting as a domestic‑violence killing, believing Herrera was angry that Cardona had reconciled with Von Gerbitz, according to local ABC affiliate KTRK. A witness who saw a man leaving the area recorded part of a license plate, and police used Flock Safety readers to locate the red Ford Fusion Herrera was allegedly driving in Liberty County.
Cardona, a mother of two boys, worked as a hairstylist in Houston’s Heights neighborhood for about two years, according to Fox affiliate KRIV. “Her laugh was very contagious,” a former coworker told the station.
Jesus Flores, a longtime neighbor, remembered how devoted Cardona was to her sons. “She loved her sons; she was always taking them out. She just started her business, doing hair, and she was doing really well. Everything she could do, she did it for them,” he said.
Blanca Gerbitz warned others not to overlook warning signs from a jealous ex. “Don’t ever underestimate a jealous person,” she urged, adding, “Never.”
Herrera remains in the Harris County Jail without bond, and his next court appearance is set for Nov. 5.
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