Escaped California inmate wanted for killing Mexican police commander caught, officials say
An escaped U.S. inmate, who was wanted for killing a member of a Mexican police unit known as the "Gringo Hunters" during a shootout last week, has been caught in Tijuana, officials said.
Cesar Hernandez, who had been convicted and sentenced for murder in California, allegedly killed Abigail Esparza Reyes, who was part of a specialized Mexican state police unit responsible for locating foreign fugitives who cross the border, during a shootout on April 9, officials said.
Surveillance footage reviewed by ABC News showed an individual, who authorities identified as Hernandez, changing into bright yellow worker's clothing, seeming to blend in after the shooting in Mexico.
In a statement released on Friday, the Baja California State Prosecutor General's Office confirmed Hernandez was arrested on Thursday evening.
"These actions reflect the outstanding intelligence and investigative work carried out by personnel from the State Attorney General's Office, whose coordinated efforts, tactical analysis strategies and data collection made it possible to accurately locate the person arrested today," the Baja California prosecutor's office said.
Officials in Mexico said Hernandez is currently facing criminal proceedings and "his legal situation will be determined in accordance with the law."
Hernandez escaped from custody on Dec. 2, shortly after arriving for a court appearance in Delano, California, according to the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Upon arrival, Hernandez "evaded staff custody, jumped out of the van and is currently at large," officials said at the time.
He had been arrested in 2019 for murder in Los Angeles County and sentenced to 80 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole, officials said. He received 25 years for first-degree murder, a sentence "doubled because it was a second strike," and discharging a firearm during the crime, officials said. Hernandez also received five years for a prior offense, officials said.
Reyes and the team of "Gringo Hunters" were featured in a "Nightline x Impact" episode in 2024 that highlighted their work to catch fugitives who evade law enforcement by fleeing to Mexico.
In the episode, Reyes is seen leading a mission to arrest a fugitive charged with murder who was found in Tijuana.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment regarding Hernandez's arrest.
ABC News' Sara Sandrick, Ellie Kaufman, Jen Watts and Alondra De La Cruz contributed to this report.
