Luz Hernandez murder: NJ teacher's ex-husband Cesar Santana left shovel, bloody rope in car days before she was killed
MIAMI, FLORIDA: Authorities seized a car linked to the New Jersey teacher's estranged husband, Cesar Santana, 36, that had a pickax, a shovel, and a blood-stained rope inside the car days before the body of Luz Hernandez was discovered in a shallow grave, as per court documents. On Wednesday, February 22, Santana made an appearance in court where he was charged with various crimes, including murder in line with the death of Hernandez, 33, the kindergarten teacher at a charter school in Jersey City. According to a statement from the Hudson County prosecutor's office, Santana was also accused of obstructing justice, tampering with actual evidence, and failing to properly dispose of human remnants.
New chilling details revealed that blood-stained items were discovered during a search of Santana's Honda, including a large black and yellow wheeled bucket, a pickax, a shovel, clear plastic sheeting, and a rope, as per NBC News. There was black hair on some of the items, the sheeting reportedly had soil on it and some of the items were stained with blood. On Tuesday evening, Santana was extradited to New Jersey after being detained on February 10 in Miami. Police are still looking for Lenier Miranda Lopez, 26, who is a second suspect in the killing.
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What happened to Luz Hernandez?
When Hernandez failed to arrive for work on February 6, Santana and family members reported her missing. Hernandez was a loving kindergarten teacher and a mother of three. Hernandez's body was discovered in a shallow grave a few hours later near Kearney, New Jersey. According to the affidavit, she died as a result of neck compressions and blunt head trauma.
According to the statement, authorities investigating her disappearance later found that Santana was spotted on February 4 walking to Hernandez's Jersey City house, where she was staying alone, then hauling a black and yellow bin out of the house an hour later. The affidavit is only partially redacted, so it is unclear who saw him move.
On February 5, Santana was given a motor vehicle citation during a traffic stop when he and another individual were seen loading a black and yellow container into a Honda in Kearney, New Jersey, that had an invalid registration. When Jersey City police officers checked on Hernandez's welfare two days later, on February 7, they reportedly detected a faint bleach odor. Blood stains and cleaning materials were discovered in the bedroom, as per reports.
After being located in Florida, Santana was arrested on Friday and put into custody with the support of the US Marshals Service. The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office is pleading with anyone with information on Lopez to come forward as Lopez is still sought by authorities in connection with the case.
Before Santana's arrest, Hernandez's sister alleged that though the couple had been separated since November, he had continued to live with her and was always making excuses for why he could not leave, as per ABC7. She also claimed that the pair had a turbulent relationship with Hernandez frequently confiding in family members that she believed she might be in danger.
GoFundMe launched for Luz Hernandez
On a GoFundMe page created for her children, Hernandez's family members claimed she was a victim of domestic violence. According to her fundraising page, Hernandez was born in the Dominican Republic and immigrated to the United States at the age of five. The GoFundMe launched by Jenny, sister of Luz Hernandez, to raise money for Hernandez's children had received $49,208 of a $50,000 goal at the time of writing.
The page reads, "Luz leaves her 3 children, 2 sisters, 2 brothers, mother and father. She originally was born in the Dominican Republic and came to the United States at the age of 5. She was a devoted mother and daughter who loved working with children. This upcoming May, she would have graduated from St. Peter’s College with her Masters in Education. She worked at BeLoved Charter School in Jersey City, New Jersey as a Kindergarten teacher where her two oldest children attend. She was a passionate educator who worked tirelessly to improve children's educational abilities. Luz was a victim of domestic violence who was murdered and found dead by the Jersey City Police Authority. This fund will contribute to a scholarship fund for her 3 children, who are my nephews and niece."