Following a comprehensive investigation by the Metro Nashville Police Department, arrests have been made in the December 2023 murder case of Orlando Hernandez. According to FOX 17, 38-year-old Jose Zavala was detained in Dallas on Friday night on a first-degree murder charge, with the indictment stemming from the Davidson County Grand Jury.
Zavala is implicated in the murder of 58-year-old Hernandez, who was discovered lifeless inside a vehicle at a wrecker lot on 52 Tusculum Road in South Nashville, as reported by the Metro Nashville police, the body was found on December 27, after being towed from the location on December 15. Police allege the murder took place at a residence on the 3700 block of North Natchez Court, and, it was drug-motivated.
Authorities have also indicted 31-year-old Rosa Carol Torres in connection with the case. Torres is facing charges of evidence tampering and abuse of a corpse as confirmed by WSMV. She is presently being held in Wilson County. Zavala and Torres were indicted after several months of diligent police work following the tragic discovery at the wrecker yard.
The indictment and subsequent arrests close a chapter on the mystery surrounding Hernandez's death, which had remained unsolved since the grim discovery by an employee inspecting a Chevrolet Blazer at the wrecker yard when they found the concealed body in the back seat. According to details provided by WKRN, the indictment charges against Zavala and Torres were returned by the Grand Jury on July 6, leading to Zavala's arrest the day before, in Dallas, Texas.
