A search for a convicted murderer in a California town has put residents on edge, with schools closing and Christmas events being postponed.
Cesar Hernandez, who was sentenced in 2019 to 80 years to life with the possibility of parole for first-degree murder, escaped Monday morning shortly after arriving at the Kern County courthouse in Delano, a city of around 50,000 in central California. State prison officials said late Thursday that he had likely fled the area and no longer posed a security risk to the town.
He was being transported to appear in court after pleading no contest to manufacturing a weapon and possessing alcohol or drugs in prison when he evaded staff and jumped out of the van, officials said.
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“Hernandez is considered dangerous,” Delano police said in a social media post. “If you see him, do not approach.”
Cesar Guzmán, 32, was only blocks away at his barber shop from the intersection where Hernandez escaped. It’s been the “number one topic at the shop” since.
“Everyday we talk about it,” Guzmán said. “The clients are, they’re scared because they haven’t found him. We’re really close to where it happened.”
Delano has been inundated with a heavy law enforcement presence since Hernandez’s escape, with police knocking on doors and helicopters whirring overhead. Guzmán said it’s the first time something like this has happened in the town, where he has lived his whole life.
Several local schools locked down Monday, and they remained closed through Thursday as the search continued, local school districts posted on Facebook.
The city postponed its tree-lighting ceremony originally scheduled for Wednesday, and the Delano Chamber of Commerce delayed its annual Christmas parade scheduled for Thursday night.
Hernandez remaining at large puts a damper on the festivities, which Guzmán and his family have attended every year.
“Honestly, now we’re kind of like, ‘How can he get away from them? What the heck happened?’” Guzmán said.
Hernandez, 34, was convicted of shooting a man after leaving a bar in south Los Angeles, according to appellate court filings. He had gotten into a “heated argument” with his girlfriend at the bar earlier that night and was looking for her after she left.
The victim was at the bar but did not have contact with either Hernandez or his girlfriend, the filings said. As the man drove away from the bar in his pickup truck, Hernandez was seen following him in his car before getting out to shoot him. It’s unclear from the filings what motivated the shooting.
Hernandez was last seen wearing an orange top and pants. He is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighs about 160 pounds, and has brown eyes and black hair. He was transferred from Los Angeles County in June 2019.
Anyone who sees Hernandez or has knowledge of his location is asked to contact law enforcement or call 911.
On the other side of the country, another search was underway for the man who gunned down United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York on Monday. Police were following tips related to his whereabouts, including searching two hostels where the man may have stayed.
