SAN ANTONIO, TX – A 15-year-old boy from Texas has been taken into custody, accused of the brutal murder of 17-year-old Kaitlin Hernandez in her San Antonio neighborhood in March.
On the evening of March 12, Hernandez embarked on a walk with a male friend. When she failed to return home later that night, her worried family reported her missing. Authorities found her lifeless body hours later in a ditch, devoid of clothing.
The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) announced the arrest of a juvenile suspect last week, citing DNA evidence from the victim that matched the last person seen with her. When Hernandez initially disappeared, her family attempted to contact her via phone, but there was no response.
Later, an unidentified man answered Hernandez’s phone, claiming to have found it in a drainage ditch. He returned the phone to Hernandez’s family at a local convenience store and cooperated with the investigation. Upon searching the area where the phone was discovered, officers found Hernandez’s body, showing signs of strangulation and possible sexual assault. The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed strangulation as the cause of death.
Authorities initially interviewed the male friend who was with Hernandez the night she disappeared. However, there was insufficient evidence to charge him at the time. As the investigation progressed, it became clear to the police that this male friend was indeed the suspect. DNA samples from both the victim and the suspect were sent to the Bexar County Crime Lab, and the results linked the suspect to the victim.
The suspect was subsequently arrested and taken into custody without incident. The investigation remains active and ongoing.
Hernandez’s aunt, Crystal Rodriguez, revealed to local media that the suspect was a known acquaintance of her niece. Rodriguez expressed her family’s distress and the impact of the incident on their trust in friends. She also commended the detectives for their relentless work on the case.
Hernandez, described by her aunt as a loving and kind girl with many dreams, was set to graduate from high school this spring. She had a passion for animals and aspired to become a veterinarian.