On June 3, hours after Alexsandro Hernandez graduated from high school, Chicago police allegedly found a loaded handgun in his pants during a traffic stop. The next evening, Hernandez’s girlfriend posted $1,000 toward his bail to get him out of jail to await trial on a felony gun charge, records show.
He was back in bond court on Thursday to face much more serious allegations: first-degree murder. Prosecutors said he is part of a three-man team that conspired to rob a man they lured into a bogus gun purchase via Facebook on August 1. The victim was shot to death when the robbery went sideways, Assistant State’s Attorney Danny Hanichak said.
Hanichak said two other people, including the one who shot the victim, remain at large.
Hernandez is the 34th person accused of killing or shooting—or attempting to kill or shoot—someone in Chicago while awaiting trial for a felony this year. The alleged crimes involved at least 68 victims, 16 of whom died.
Alexsandro Hernandez | CPD
One of the other conspirators used Facebook to arrange to sell a handgun to 18-year-old Irving Ibarez for $400 on August 1, Hanichak said. The co-conspirator told Ibarez to meet him at 7 p.m. on the corner of Natchez and Dickens in Belmont Cragin to complete the transaction—and he promised to bring some free bullets for Ibarez.
Surveillance video shows the co-conspirator getting into Ibarez’s car and a white Nissan Murano with no license plates pulling up next to them four minutes later.
Hernandez got out of the Murano’s passenger seat and approached Ibarez’s door with a gun in his hand, Hanichak said. Ibarez, seeing Hernandez and the weapon he was holding, reversed his car. As he did, the conspirator who was sitting in his passenger seat shot him one time in the chest, according to Hanichak. Ibarez died.
Chicago police detectives compiled footage from surveillance cameras to track Murano’s movements before the shooting. It pulled into an AutoZone where Hernandez used to work about 25 minutes before the shooting. According to Hanichak, Hernandez went inside and bought masks and gloves while dressed in the same clothes he would wear at the shooting scene.
About ten minutes later, a camera at a different location recorded the Murano’s driver getting out of the car and removing its license plates. Hernandez’s phone data allegedly tracks with the Murano’s movements and to the murder scene.
Hanichak said Hernandez admitted to having “multiple guns” inside the Nissan and pointing a gun at Ibarez’s car during the botched robbery. He later dumped it in the lake, according to Hanichak. But Hernandez denied being the shooter, and Hanichak said the video does not show Hernandez firing the weapon.
According to his defense attorney, Hernandez and his fiancé are expecting a child in April.
Judge Charles Beach granted a state motion to hold Hernandez without bail.
Bail in Hernandez’s gun case was set on June 4 by Judge Kelly McCarthy.
The “not horrible” series
This report continues our coverage of individuals accused of killing, shooting, or trying to kill or shoot others while on bond for a pending felony case. CWBChicago began our series of reports in November 2019 after Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans publicly stated, “we haven’t had any horrible incidents occur” under the court’s bond reform initiative.
The actual number of murders and shootings committed by people on felony bail is undoubtedly much higher than the numbers seen here. Since 2017, CPD has brought charges in less than 5% of non-fatal shootings and 33% of murders, according to the city’s data.
CWBChicago was created in 2013 by five residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who had grown disheartened with inaccurate information that was being provided at local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings.
Our coverage area has expanded since then to cover Lincoln Park, River North, The Loop, Uptown, and other North Side Areas. But our mission remains unchanged: To provide original public safety reporting with better context and greater detail than mainstream media outlets.
Our editorial email address is news@cwbchicago.com
