Southwest
Texas police hunt killer after teen found dead in ditch 'like an animal'
Texas police are searching for the person who killed a 17-year-old San Antonio girl who was found dead in a ditch on Tuesday evening, about an hour after she was reported missing, according to her family and local authorities.
San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) officers located Kaitlin Hernandez’s body just before 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday in a “drainage ditch” beneath a bridge on the 7600 block of Dell Oak Drive, SAPD said in a Wednesday Facebook post.
“We need to find out who did this, because she didn’t deserve to be left there like an animal. It’s just very ugly and cruel,” Angie Hernandez, the victim’s mother, told FOX San Antonio. “I don’t know what this person was thinking, why they targeted her. I don’t understand.”
On Thursday, SAPD announced that they had detained a person of interest, who is “cooperating and assisting in the investigation.”
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Kaitlin Hernandez was about to graduate high school in May. (family handout)
“Detectives are still investigating. This is an active and ongoing investigation,” SAPD told Fox News Digital in a statement. “The person of interest shown in our previous social media post is cooperating with the investigation. There have not been any arrests at this time.”
Hernandez died of strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head, according to FOX San Antonio.
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San Antonio Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest in the case.
San Antonio, Texas, teen Kaitlin Hernandez was found dead beneath a bridge after she went missing on Tuesday evening. (Google Maps)
Crystal Rodriguez, Hernandez’s aunt, organized a GoFundMe for the teenager’s grieving family, saying they are in a “state of shock” after Hernandez was “found murdered” just four months after her sister died.
“[T]his feels so unreal to us. We ask that you help out with anything,” Rodriguez said in a description of the GoFundMe page. “We’re trying to have a proper funeral service for her. As we just laid her sister down to rest [four] months ago, now they’re together in heaven.”
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San Antonio, Texas, police are looking for the person who brutally murdered Kaitlin Hernandez on Tuesday evening. (GoFundMe)
On the night she went missing, she left home to go on a walk with a male friend, Hernandez’s family told FOX San Antonio. The friend returned home, but Hernandez did not.
Police detained the friend for questioning, in addition to the person of interest, but authorities have not made any arrests so far.
Hernandez was about to graduate from Roosevelt High School in May, her aunt said.
Kaitlin Hernandez’s family are desperate for answers after the 17-year-old high school senior was found dead on Tuesday evening. (family handout)
“She was funny, always making other people laugh. She loved her family so much and we loved her. She loved her dogs, she always slept with them. We miss her dearly,” Rodriguez wrote.
Any information leading to the identity of this person of interest, please contact the SAPD Homicide unit at 210-207-7635 and provide them with case number SAPD24055687.
A vigil for the teenager will be held on Friday at 6 p.m. at 118 Ashland Drive.
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A man wanted for a deadly road rage shooting in Los Angeles was arrested and extradited from Mexico after fleeing the U.S. in 2024.
The suspect was identified as Christian Rojas, 21, of Bellflower, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Authorities had been searching for him since the deadly incident on October 10, 2024.
Rojas and a second suspect, Joshua Rojas Sr., 47, of Downey, were driving on the northbound 5 Freeway in Boyle Heights around 4 p.m. when they became involved in an altercation with another driver that escalated into a shooting.
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Video obtained exclusively by KTLA shows the terrifying moment a road rage suspect opened fire the driver of another car on the 5 Freeway in Los Angeles, fatally wounding him and seriously injuring a passenger, on Oct. 10, 2024. (Credit: @hugoboss01) -
Video obtained exclusively by KTLA shows the terrifying moment a road rage suspect opened fire the driver of another car on the 5 Freeway in Los Angeles, fatally wounding him and seriously injuring a passenger, on Oct. 10, 2024. (Credit: @hugoboss01) -
Video obtained exclusively by KTLA shows the terrifying moment a road rage suspect opened fire the driver of another car on the 5 Freeway in Los Angeles, fatally wounding him and seriously injuring a passenger, on Oct. 10, 2024. The alleged gunman is circled. (Credit: @hugoboss01) -
Video obtained exclusively by KTLA shows the terrifying moment a road rage suspect opened fire the driver of another car on the 5 Freeway in Los Angeles, fatally wounding him and seriously injuring a passenger, on Oct. 10, 2024. (Credit: @hugoboss01) -
Video obtained exclusively by KTLA shows the terrifying moment a road rage suspect opened fire the driver of another car on the 5 Freeway in Los Angeles, fatally wounding him and seriously injuring a passenger, on Oct. 10, 2024. (Credit: @hugoboss01) -
Christian Rojas, 21, of Bellflower, was arrested and extradited to the U.S. from Mexico on June 2, 2026, in connection with a deadly road rage shooting in Los Angeles. (California Highway Patrol)
Video of the tense confrontation showed the suspects, who were driving a Dodge Durango SUV, opening fire on two men in a Cadillac sedan.
The shooting forced the victim to pull over abruptly. That’s when a suspect ran up to the Cadillac, opened the passenger-side door and fired several shots at close range.
In a panic, the Cadillac driver tried to escape by making a sudden U-turn and driving against oncoming traffic. He eventually crashed head-on into several vehicles.
The suspects ditched their SUV and fled toward a freeway exit on foot. The Cadillac driver was left with serious injuries and his passenger was killed. Their identities were not released.
The incident caused a miles-long backup that left thousands of motorists stranded on the freeway for hours and authorities worked to clear the scene.
Following an extensive investigation, detectives identified the two men as the suspects involved.
Joshua Rojas Sr. was arrested in San Bernardino on October 22, 2024, on a murder charge. He remains in custody awaiting trial.
Meanwhile, Christian Rojas had fled the U.S. and was hiding in Mexico, detectives said. A $4.3 million bail warrant was issued for his arrest.
“Through a coordinated international effort, investigators determined that Rojas was living in Palomo de Arriba, Mexico,” CHP officials said. “The U.S. Marshals Service worked with Mexican state police to locate and arrest him on the outstanding warrant.”
On June 2, 2026, Christian was arrested and extradited to the U.S. to face a murder charge.
“This arrest demonstrates that time and distance will not shield violent offenders from justice,” said CHP Southern Division Chief Chris Margaris. “For nearly two years, our detectives remained relentless in their pursuit of those responsible for this senseless act of violence. Through exceptional collaboration with the United States Marshals Service and our law enforcement partners in Mexico, we located and apprehended this suspect and brought him back to face the charges. We remain committed to protecting the public, supporting victims and their families, and holding violent criminals accountable wherever they may try to hide.”
The northbound 405 Freeway will remain closed for several hours near Los Angeles International Airport after a police pursuit ended with officers opening fire Friday morning. Unconfirmed reports indicated the incident began with a robbery at a 7-Eleven store, which ended with Los Angeles Police Department officers pursuing the suspect in a Kia. The chase […]
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