Hitchcock, TX: Man charged with killing pregnant girlfriend Her 11-year-old daughter witnesses slaying, Hitchcock police say

By PAIGE HEWITT
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
July 25, 2010, 6:07PM


A Hitchcock man was charged Sunday morning in the killing of his pregnant girlfriend.
Bernard Stinson Cunningham, 33, is accused of shooting Erika Johnetta Gee, 31, three times in front of her 11-year-old daughter late Saturday before turning himself in to authorities about 20 minutes later.
The unborn child, which was due in about four months, also died, said Hitchcock Police Chief Clay Kennelly.
Gee was at the dog park in La Marque on Saturday night and "didn't acknowledge" Cunningham, apparently prompting an argument about 11:20 p.m. at their apartment in the 5800 block of Delaney, Kennelly said.
Cunningham is accused of shooting Gee three times with a 10mm, striking her in the thigh and elsewhere, and then fleeing the scene.
He told police the shots were accidentally fired while the two were physically struggling over the gun.
The child's statement, however, disputes that, the chief said.
"We got a call from the 11-year-old daughter, who said her mother had been shot three times and needed help," Delaney said.
The woman was transported to a Texas City hospital, where she died.
Doctors performed an emergency C-section to try to save the fetus, but it had been fatally struck in the neck by a bullet.
The boyfriend called police 22 minutes after his girlfriend's daughter called, agreeing to turn himself in.
He was booked at the Galveston County Jail early Sunday.
paige.hewitt@chron.com