A Texas mother is accused of attacking her husband and their two young children with a kitchen knife in the family’s Northlake home, with her husband later telling investigators that she had been struggling with postpartum depression since the birth of their youngest child.
Holly Leeann Flores, 37, faces two counts of attempted capital murder in connection with the alleged attacks on her 3-year-old daughter and 10-month-old son.
She is also charged with aggravated assault over the alleged stabbing of her husband, Justin Hommel, 34.
The incident happened in the early hours of Tuesday at the family’s home in Northlake, a suburb north of Dallas.
Husband Calls 911
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by Fox 4, Hommel called 911 at about 4.20 a.m. after an altercation with Flores.
When officers arrived, they found Hommel outside the property holding the kitchen knife believed to have been used in the incident.
Officers then detained Flores and entered the residence.
Inside, police found the couple’s two children lying on a bed and covered in blood.
Both children were conscious and had puncture wounds to their upper chest areas, while the 3-year-old girl also had wounds to her stomach, according to the affidavit.
Police said the children were taken to a hospital in Fort Worth and were expected to survive.
Warning Signs Before the Attack
Hommel told investigators that he had been sleeping on the couch in an effort to support his wife, whom he said had experienced postpartum depression since giving birth to their son 10 months earlier.
He reportedly woke during the night after hearing Flores repeatedly attempting to ignite a lighter.
The affidavit states that Hommel entered the bedroom because he was concerned by the sound.
He allegedly saw Flores lighting a candle and noticed a kitchen knife on the dresser.
Hommel told police that seeing the knife frightened him and that he asked Flores what she was doing.
The pair then became involved in a verbal confrontation.
According to the affidavit, Hommel subsequently returned to sleep.
Knife Attack Follows Children’s Crying
Hommel later woke after hearing the children crying.
He told investigators that he knocked on the bedroom door and Flores opened it while holding the kitchen knife.
The affidavit alleges that Flores then attacked him with the weapon.
A struggle followed, during which Flores allegedly bit Hommel on his arms as he attempted to wrestle the knife away from her.
She allegedly stabbed him in the forehead before he managed to take the weapon.
Hommel then escaped from the house and contacted emergency services.
Flores Told Police She Wanted to Die
As officers attempted to place Flores in custody, the affidavit states that she repeatedly managed to get out of her handcuffs and searched for the keys.
Once inside an ambulance, Flores allegedly told officers that she wanted to kill herself and no longer wanted to live.
Her responses reportedly changed when officers asked whether she understood why they were at the house.
“I would like to speak to my lawyer,” she told them, according to the affidavit.
Police Had Previous Wellness Calls
Authorities later disclosed that officers had been called to the Hommel residence five times since March over wellness-related concerns.
The revelation came as neighbors described being shocked by the allegations involving a family they had generally viewed as happy and close-knit.
One construction worker who was working next door said he had seen the couple arguing the day before the alleged attack.
“I didn’t think much of it; all couples fight,” the witness told the Daily Mail, describing Flores as visibly upset while Justin stood holding their baby.
Another neighbor similarly described the family as “picture perfect,” saying the children appeared happy and that the couple had been friendly and polite since moving into the neighborhood in 2020.
Family Life Shared Online
The family also frequently appeared together on social media.
Flores, who uses the name Holly Hommel on Facebook, had posted photographs of herself with Justin and their two children.
One photograph shared in August showed the family standing together at a beach pier, with Flores holding their daughter and Justin carrying their infant son.
Another photograph posted the previous day showed their daughter kissing her baby brother on the forehead.
Flores also appeared to operate a balloon-decorating business, sharing photographs from events including birthday parties, Halloween celebrations and grand openings.
Justin has described himself professionally as a health insurance expert and used a family photograph on his professional Facebook page.
Case Draws Comparison With Lindsay Clancy
The allegations have also been compared with the case of Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy, whose prosecution followed the deaths of her three young children in January 2023.
Clancy, 36, was accused of strangling her children — Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months — at the family’s home in Duxbury before attempting to take her own life.
Her case centered heavily on claims about severe mental illness following childbirth.
The defense argued that Clancy had been experiencing postpartum psychosis, while prosecutors maintained that she was criminally responsible for the deaths.
Her trial ended in a mistrial on September 4 after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict, with reports indicating that the jury had deadlocked 11-1.
