Prosecutor: Ex-partner of Dominican mother found dead in shallow New Jersey grave charged with murder

NEW JERSEY — The former girlfriend of Luz Hernández, a 33-year-old Dominican mother and teacher who was found dead in Kerny on February 7, has been charged with murder in connection with the tragic death of the mother of her children.

César Santana, 36, who is Hernández’s ex-partner, has been charged with murder in addition to charges of tampering with physical evidence, obstruction, among other charges. He was previously charged with desecration/concealment of human remains.

Santana was arrested days after the body was found at a motel in Biscayne Boulevard in Miami, Florida, by members of the U.S. Marshals South Florida and New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Special Forces. The suspect was extradited to New Jersey on the afternoon of Tuesday February 21 and was arraigned early Wednesday morning. He is currently being held in the Hudson County Jail pending his first court appearance.

Authorities are also looking for another man who allegedly accompanied Santana. They are Leiner Miranda López, 26, who has also been charged with desecration/concealment of human remains. Until Wednesday, I had not been arrested.

For her part, Miranda López has not yet been captured and anyone with information about her is urged to contact the Hudson County District Attorney’s Office at 201-915-1345. Below is a photo of him.

Family and friends said their final goodbyes last week to the Dominican mother and teacher who was found beaten and strangled in a shallow New Jersey grave on Feb. 7, the Hudson County District Attorney’s Office said.

AUTOPSY: HOW LUZ HERNÁNDEZ DIED

The announcement came hours after the prosecutor’s office shared autopsy results for Hernández, who went missing on February 6.

The teacher was determined to have died from blunt force trauma and compression injuries to the neck, prosecutors said Thursday, confirming the case had progressed from a missing person investigation to a homicide.

Yolanda Vásquez with the latest news from New Jersey.

The autopsy also confirmed the identity of Hernandez, who had been tentative pending confirmation from the coroner.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE CASE

The case began on Monday, February 6, when a missing person report was filed with Jersey City police. Hernandez didn’t show up for work that day, prompting her family, already panicked when they didn’t hear from her over the weekend, to call the police.

On Tuesday, Jersey City police officers conducted a wellness check at Hernandez’s home on Van Horne Street. It’s unclear what they found at the time, but prosecutors said all officers needed to do was contact the Hudson County District Attorney’s office and Cesar Santana was identified as a person of interest in the case.

During the investigation, it was determined that César Santana and Leiner Miranda López
were involved in a traffic stop on Sunday February 5 at central avenue in Kearny, before Luz Hernández went missing. The vehicle was not registered and was seized by the Kearny Police Department. A court-authorized search of the vehicle was conducted on Tuesday and additional evidence was recovered.

The Kearny Police Department, knowing the details of the traffic stop, led the Homicide Unit to the area of central avenue there third street at Kearny, where investigators eventually located what appeared to be a shallow grave. The body of a woman, later identified as 33-year-old Luz Hernandez of Jersey City, was found shortly thereafter.

The mother-of-three was pronounced dead at the scene.

THE FAMILY OF LUZ HERNÁNDEZ REACTS

Hernandez’s family were “heartbroken” by the news. “We can’t live without her, I will never fill this void,” said her sister, Jenny Taveras. He also said he wanted justice for his sister.

“She was a very good mother. She was kind, oh my God. She was a beautiful person. She will be missed so much. I can’t speak, she’s amazing,” her cousin Yajaira Germosen said.

Hernández was last seen on Saturday when she and her children visited a relative. It was the last time her children saw her alive, as they spent Sundays with their father.

“He went to church with kids like nothing happened,” Germosen said.

The school where she taught was closed on Wednesday to allow those who knew her to pay their respects. There was a makeshift altar on the steps of the beloved teacher’s house, awash with candles, balloons and banners. A 6-year-old student from Hernández cried when she left a card that read “I love you”.

Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact the Hudson County District Attorney’s Office at 201-915-1345 or http://www.hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip/

PARQUET: CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS

Sunday February 5

Kearny Police Department conducted a traffic stop at central avenue of a vehicle occupied by César Santana and Leiner Miranda López. The vehicle was not registered and impounded.

monday 6 february

A report has been filed with the Jersey City Police Department regarding Luz’s disappearance.
Hernandez.

tuesday 7 february

The Jersey City Police Department conducted a wellness check on Van Horne Street and the body of the Dominican mother was found. The Hudson County District Attorney’s Office has been notified and Cesar Santana has been identified as a person of interest. The Hudson County District Attorney’s Office learned of Kearny’s traffic stop and that he was still in possession of the vehicle and an authorized search warrant was executed.

Thursday February 9

The autopsy performed by the Regional Forensic Service determined that Luz Hernández had died of blunt trauma to the head and compression to the neck. The manner of death was ruled homicide.