A 15-year-old boy accused of the brutal murder of a 17-year-old San Antonio girl was ordered detained after a court hearing yesterday, according to officials.
The young suspect, whose name has not been released due to his minor status, is charged with the capital murder of Kaitlin Hernandez, who was found strangled in a drainage culvert on March 12 not far from her northeast-side home, the incident left her family and the local community reeling, with the crime scene cordoned off as investigations took off and a pursuit for justice that currently sees them navigating the complicated waters of the juvenile court system. As reported by KENS 5, during the detention hearing, presided over by Associate Judge Erik Reynolds, security was increased in the juvenile court, where the victim's grieving family wore turned inside-out shirts bearing Kaitlin's photo as a peacekeeping measure.
A representative for the probation department detailed the grave accusations to the court, and a prosecutor insisted the teen be kept in custody, arguing, "This is a very serious case, a life has been taken... therefore he is a risk to society and he therefore needs to be detained," as KENS 5 reported. The defense, headed by attorney Monica Guerrero, countered by highlighting the juvenile's lack of prior offenses and the family's commitment to support and supervise him, including any court-ordered psychological counseling.
Yet amid the legal maneuvers and the defense's plea, the mother's partner, acting as one of the teen's guardians, voiced a somber note of agreement with the prosecutor, stating, "I think he needs to be held for now," echoing a sentiment of caution and gravity that hung like a shroud over the courtroom proceedings. Judge Reynolds subsequently ordered the teen detained until the next hearing on May 30, during which time the boy would have visitation rights with his guardians, a point of contention for the victim's family, as expressed by Kaitlin's aunt, Crystal Rodriguez, who told KENS 5, "To me that's not fair, because he is able to have visitation, yet we have to go see my niece at the cemetery, which isn't right."
