Southern California(Thechieftainspear) – A man convicted of murder in California and accused of killing a Mexican police commander during a dramatic escape across the border has been arrested in Tijuana, according to multiple news outlets.
Cesar Hernandez, a 35-year-old U.S. citizen, was serving an 80-years-to-life sentence after being convicted in 2019 for fatally shooting a man outside a Southeast Los Angeles bar. On December 2, 2024, he managed to break free from California corrections officers while en route to the Kern County Superior Courthouse in Delano, where he was expected to enter a no-contest plea related to a weapon found in his prison cell. The new charge could have ended any chance of parole under California’s three-strikes law.
Although corrections officials have not confirmed the method of escape, some reports suggest Hernandez used a homemade key to unlock his restraints during the transport. That theory gained traction after surveillance footage surfaced, showing him sprinting unshackled from a transport vehicle, easily outpacing a pursuing officer.
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Despite an extensive search, Hernandez evaded capture and reportedly fled to Mexico.
On April 9, Mexican authorities with the elite law enforcement unit known as the “Gringo Hunters”—a group dedicated to capturing U.S. fugitives—tried to apprehend Hernandez in Tijuana. Posing as a cleaner, Hernandez allegedly opened fire on the officers during the operation, fatally wounding Commander Abigail Esparza Reyes, 33. He escaped once again.
However, the manhunt came to an end on April 17, when Mexican law enforcement located and arrested Hernandez in Tijuana, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Authorities have not yet disclosed whether Hernandez will be tried in Mexico for the officer’s death, extradited back to California, or face charges in both countries.
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