Newly released court documents are shedding light on the disturbing sequence of events that unfolded inside a Northlake home early Tuesday morning before a woman allegedly stabbed her husband and two young children with a kitchen knife.
Holly Flores has been charged with attempted capital murder following the attack. Her husband Justin Hommel told investigators that he had noticed troubling changes in her behavior in recent weeks and said she had been struggling with postpartum depression.
According to the arrest affidavit Hommel woke up during the night to find Flores lighting a candle in the bedroom. He also noticed a kitchen knife sitting on the dresser nearby.
The couple argued and Flores locked Hommel out of the bedroom. He eventually fell back asleep before being jolted awake a second time by the sound of his children crying.
Hommel called 911 and told dispatchers that he was being chased through the home by Flores who was armed with the knife. Officers arrived to find both children suffering from stab wounds to their chests.
Northlake police confirmed that officers had previously responded to five separate welfare check calls at the home dating back to March. Authorities have not released further details about those prior visits or whether Flores was receiving any mental health treatment at the time of the attack.
The case is drawing renewed attention to the often underrecognized symptoms of postpartum mental health conditions. Licensed clinical psychologist Andrea Niles said postpartum depression is frequently misunderstood as a narrow diagnosis when in reality it can present in a wide range of ways.
Niles said symptoms such as intense anxiety rage irritability and confusion are common but often go unidentified by families. She emphasized that behavioral changes in a new mother should be taken seriously as warning signs even when they do not fit the typical image of postpartum depression.
Investigators have not confirmed whether a diagnosed mental health condition contributed to the attack. The case remains under active investigation by Denton County authorities.