Teen jailed for murder

By THOMAS JENKINS     
Staff Writer
An arrest has been made in connection with the May 30 shooting death of a 16-year-old Big Spring youth, officials with the Big Spring Police Department announced Friday afternoon.

Olivarez

Christopher Olivarez, 18, of 2602 Carleton, was arrested Friday in Lamesa on a charge of murder for his role in the shooting that claimed the life of Justin Hernandez, according to BSPD officials.

Hernandez's mother, Nicole Harbour — who had been openly critical of the police investigation — said she hopes the arrest will ultimately lead to justice for her son.

“We're happy to hear someone has been arrested, and we're hoping this will allow the whole story to come out,” Harbour said Friday afternoon. “We hope this will allow us to get some issues resolved. The family really needs closure, and this is one step closer to getting justice for Justin.”

Olivarez offered no resistance when taken into custody, according to police.

“Investigators with the BSPD and the Howard County Sheriff's Office executed an arrest warrant at the Villa Apartments in Lamesa, with the help of the Lamesa Police Department and the Dawson County Sheriff's Office,” said Sgt. Tony Everett, public information officer with the BSPD. “Olivarez was charged with murder stemming from the shooting death of Justin Hernandez.

“Olivarez was taken into custody without incident. He was later brought before Judge (Denise) Dyess and his bond set at $750,000. He was then transported back to Big Spring by investigators and booked into the Howard County Jail.”

Everett declined to discuss the details of the case, citing an open investigation.

Hernandez was pronounced dead shortly after 10 a.m. May 30 at a Lubbock area hospital, according to police records. According to law enforcement officials, Hernandez and a second victim — later identified as 17-year-old Richard Pineda of Big Spring — were shot at a residence in the 1600 block of Cardinal shortly after midnight.

Preliminary investigation into the shooting revealed that a fight involving the two teenagers and several others had occurred earlier in the evening, according to police officials. Family members of Hernandez have maintained the Big Spring High School student was not directly involved in any of the fights.

Pineda was taken to Scenic Mountain Medical Center, where he was treated for his injuries and released.

Contact Staff Writer Thomas Jenkins at 263-7331 ext. 232 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it