The family of Kaitlin Hernandez, a 17-year-old girl found strangled to death, is calling for the death penalty for 16-year-old Daryl Barrera, who was certified this week to stand trial as an adult for her killing. In the somber revelations from the courtroom, Barrera's troubling past was laid bare - his history of violence first against animals and then, tragically, a human life.
Hernandez's body was discovered under disaggregated circumstances, naked from the waist down and with obvious signs of strangulation, less than a half-mile from her home. Barrera, who had gone for a walk with Hernandez, returned home alone and would later be linked to the crime through DNA and other evidence, said SAPD Detective Randal Hines, according to HeadTopics.
Hernandez's aunt, Crystal Rodriguez, expressed a heart-wrenching turn of sorrow and justice-seeking. "My number one recommendation is that I hope he gets the death penalty," Rodriguez said, as quoted by KSAT. In testimonies that surfaced during the hearing, a dark portrait of the young suspect emerged - a teen with a self-confessed porn addiction who killed animals and attempted suicide multiple times.
Amid the details of the case, the narrative of a boy failed by more than just his own actions emerged. Barrera's adoptive aunt reportedly attempted to get him counseling and admission to the Laurel Ridge mental health clinic. However, the clinic declined, not considering Barrera a danger, as stated by a probation officer. Yet, Rodriguez believes that additional steps should have been taken. "I think it’s BS because there are more facilities that they could have taken him to," she lamented, as per the interview with KSAT. Barrera now awaits indictment, his bond set at $250,000.
