San Fernando Valley Serial Killer's Case Rejected By CA Supreme Court

LOS ANGELES, CA — The California Supreme Court refused Tuesday to hear the case of an ex-con who was convicted of carrying out a shooting rampage that left five people dead in the San Fernando Valley, including three on the same day.

Alexander Hernandez, now 44, was convicted in May 2022 of first-degree murder for the 2014 slayings of Sergio Sanchez on March 14; Gilardo Morales on Aug. 21; and Gloria Tovar, Michael Planells and Mariana Franco on Aug. 24, along with 11 counts of attempted murder -- the bulk of which occurred between Aug. 20 and Aug. 24, 2014.

Jurors found true the special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder during a drive-by shooting.

The former Sylmar resident was also found guilty of eight counts of shooting at an occupied vehicle, two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon.

Hernandez, who withdrew his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity just before the trial, pleaded no contest before the trial began to three animal cruelty charges involving three dogs -- two of whom were killed -- at the Pacoima home of a good Samaritan who testified that he had previously helped Hernandez jump-start his SUV.

Hernandez was sentenced in August 2022 to five consecutive life prison terms without the possibility of parole, plus 483 years to life. A judge said then that the defendant "went out to hunt people" and that the cruelty he exhibited "defies explanation."

In a ruling about 2 1/2 months ago, a three-justice panel from California's 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected the defense's contention that his conviction violated Hernandez's constitutional right because his trial counsel conceded guilt at his trial, purportedly over the defendant's objection.

The appellate court panel noted that Hernandez unsuccessfully sought to replace his trial attorneys early in the trial process and that the defendant told a judge that his lawyers didn't want to use certain evidence at trial that he believed would help his defense and that there were a "couple things" he didn't want them to say to the jury.

"But nowhere in the record did Hernandez state that his goal was to maintain his innocence of the charges against him or to preclude the use of mental state evidence, despite the trial court's several requests that he explain the nature of his disagreement with defense counsel," the panel found in its 18-page ruling.

Deputy District Attorney Michele Hanisee told jurors in her final argument that they will probably never know why the crimes occurred. She told City News Service after the verdict that the attacks were "absolutely unprovoked."

Most of the victims were driving -- including home from prom or work, to church and en route to a fishing trip with their children on Father's Day -- when they noticed a vehicle following them or pulling up alongside.

In most of the cases, the vehicle was Hernandez's Chevrolet Suburban, the prosecutor alleged at a hearing in 2016 in which the defendant was ordered to stand trial.

The SUV was identifiable by a hood that didn't close properly, stickers of "a white skull" and "666" on the back of the vehicle, its custom six-spoked rims and other unique details, according to the prosecution, which also alleged that housing for a side-view mirror found at the Morales crime scene was matched to the Suburban.

Sanchez, 35, was found fatally shot inside his vehicle on a freeway off-ramp in Sylmar, while Morales, 48, was shot to death while in a vehicle in the Pacoima area.

Tovar, 59, was shot to death while in her car in Pacoima, waiting to pick up a friend to go to church.

Franco, 22, was with her parents and two siblings on their way to church when a gunman pulled up alongside in an SUV and said in Spanish either "I am going to kill you" or "I'm killing you" before shooting Franco in the head. Her mother and father were also struck by bullets, but survived.

Planells, 29, was shot that same day while standing in a parking lot in Sylmar.

Video surveillance footage showed someone in an SUV "shoot Mr. Planells and casually drive out of the parking lot," the prosecutor said at a hearing in 2016.

Other shootings that were subsequently linked to the defendant included a May 14, 2014, drive-by attack that seriously injured a Chatsworth teenager who had just dropped his girlfriend at home following their high school prom and was waiting for a traffic light to change when a vehicle pulled alongside and a man shot him, according to the deputy district attorney.

Hernandez has remained jailed without bail since he was arrested after barricading himself for about an hour inside his Sylmar residence on Aug. 24, 2014.

He had prior convictions dating back to 2004 for possession for sale of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance while armed and possession of a firearm by a felon.

City News Service