PONCHATOULA, LA – The quiet community of Tangipahoa Parish is reeling from the recent arrest of a local man, David Hernandez, 49, in relation to the murder of his estranged wife. Hernandez was taken into custody on Monday, facing charges of second-degree murder and obstruction of justice, as per an announcement from the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday.
On the evening of March 21, officers responding to a medical emergency at a home on Meadow Wood Drive discovered the brutal scene. Lisa Hernandez, 45, David’s estranged wife, was found lifeless and covered in blood. Lisa’s 24-year-old daughter, who found her mother unresponsive, alerted the authorities.
Following a homicide investigation, it was revealed that David Hernandez had allegedly been stalking Lisa for a year since their separation. According to the sheriff’s office, David would sporadically appear at Lisa’s workplace. In a chilling act, David reportedly sent Lisa a bouquet of flowers containing lilies, known as the ‘death flower,’ to which she was severely allergic. Detectives also found a tracking device on Lisa’s vehicle, linked to David.
Investigators suspect that David staged a burglary at Lisa’s home, used items from her house to kill her, and then discarded these items into Lake Pontchartrain. These items were later retrieved during the investigation.
The autopsy results for Lisa Hernandez are still pending. However, preliminary findings suggest that Lisa was beaten with both blunt and sharp objects. Lisa, remembered as a compassionate mother of three girls, worked at St. Tammany Pediatrics and had a passion for reading, particularly the Harry Potter series.
The news of Lisa’s murder has left the residents of Tangipahoa Parish in shock. The tranquility of the small town has been shattered, leaving locals to grapple with the reality of such a horrific crime in their midst.