Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, update: Officials with the California Department of Rehabilitation believe the threat escaped inmate Cesar Hernandez posed to Delano has subsided. Officials believe Hernandez may have fled the area, but the search is ongoing.
Original story
DELANO, Calif. — A convicted killer’s brazen escape from state custody in Kern County this week is keeping the city of Delano on edge.
Local schools planned to close for a second day Thursday and public holiday celebrations have been postponed while authorities continue their search for Cesar Hernandez.
On Monday, the 34-year-old jumped out of a moving prison van that was taking him to a scheduled court hearing, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
The state agency said its officers were “working around the clock to pursue leads” in search of Hernandez. The Delano Police Department and Kern County Sheriff’s Office deputies have also joined the search, but the effort is being led by the CDCR.
Hernandez was serving a 25-year sentence for first-degree murder in Los Angeles County. He was scheduled to appear in the Delano courthouse after pleading no contest to manufacturing weapons and possessing alcohol while in prison.
Hernandez is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs approximately 161 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair and was last seen wearing an orange top and orange pants.
Anyone with knowledge of Hernandez’s whereabouts is urged to contact authorities.
