Nicacio Hernandez III was remembered by his family as an authentic, genuine, and loving soul whose presence was a blessing. A 41-year-old male, he was a dedicated father and a devoted husband who carried these titles with honor and grace. Loved ones recalled how his laugh invited people to be in the moment and how his humor helped them escape their troubles. Known affectionately as "Fat Nick," Nicacio was a husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, and friend.
His family said, "There was no man like him before and there will be no man like him after." He is survived by his wife and best friend, Toni Hernandez; his three sons, Johnathan, Michael, and Nino; and his granddaughter, Dakota.
The events that led to his death began on the evening of Friday, September 25, 2026. Nicacio and his wife met their 24-year-old son, Johnathan, at a BoomerJack's restaurant in Lake Worth, Texas, before the group went to Tumbleweeds Sports Bar in Fort Worth. At the bar, Johnathan got into a verbal disagreement with a friend of his father's. According to a police affidavit, Johnathan became angry when Nicacio took his friend's side in the dispute. The argument festered and continued after they returned to the family’s residence in the 8300 block of North Riverside Drive.
The verbal conflict at the home quickly escalated into a physical one. Johnathan Hernandez told detectives that he believed his father was about to strike him, so he punched Nicacio in the head about five times. He claimed his father then pulled a fixed-blade knife from a sheath on his belt, causing him to flee the house through the garage. As he ran from the property, Johnathan said he heard a gunshot and believed his father had fired a weapon at him.
Johnathan reportedly got a ride from an unknown person to his own apartment in Fort Worth. There, he retrieved a rifle-style firearm from his vehicle and drove back to his parents' house. According to a police official, Johnathan told his girlfriend he was "going to do something to the father." Upon his return to the North Riverside Drive home, Johnathan told police he saw his father in the garage and heard him say, "Y'all are all gonna die tonight."
At approximately 3:40 a.m. on Saturday, September 26, 2026, believing his father was a threat to the family inside, Johnathan fired the rifle multiple times through a garage window. Nicacio Hernandez was struck in the back of the head and collapsed in the doorway between the garage and the house. Fort Worth Police Department officers responded to a 911 call and found Nicacio deceased at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. When they arrived, Johnathan Hernandez was at the home and surrendered to them with his hands raised.
Johnathan Hernandez was arrested and charged with the murder of his father. He was booked into the Tarrant County Jail and held on a $500,000 bond. During interviews with homicide detectives, he claimed he shot his father to protect his mother and grandfather, who were also in the house. However, an investigator noted in the arrest affidavit that interviews with other family members at the residence did not indicate that Nicacio posed an immediate threat to them at the time of the shooting. Crime scene officers recovered five ejected 7.62 mm cartridge casings outside the garage.
A visitation for Nicacio was held on October 7, 2026, at Mount Olivet Chapel in Fort Worth. His family cherished his memory, stating, "While we can no longer physically see you Fat Nick, we welcome your spirit’s presence in all we do." Fort Worth Police Public Information Officer Tracy Carter commented on the tragedy, saying, "Someone having a disagreement because you don’t take my side and agree with someone else, should not be the reason someone should lose their life."
As of October 2026, the case against Johnathan Hernandez was pending, and the police investigation was ongoing. Fort Worth Police asked anyone with information about the incident to contact detectives at 817-392-4222 or Tarrant County Crime Stoppers at 817-469-TIPS to remain anonymous.
