Latin King Murder Defendant Has 4 Violent Crimes Pending In Joliet

JOLIET — Since turning 18 years old in 2020, Joliet's John Roy "Johnny Jr." Hernandez has continued to amass more felony charges in several of Joliet's drive-by shootings. Even Johnny Jr.'s own father has feared his son, obtaining orders of protection — prior to his own son being accused of trying to shoot him two summers ago — court records show.

"Johnny Jr., my son, yesterday came by the Walmart in Joliet threatening that he was going to kill me," the Joliet father, then 45, notified Will County's judges on Sept. 9, 2021. "He has firearms, so I called the police and he took off. My son and I don't have a good connection, so he is constantly angry towards me. He has criminal history, and I do feel he will hurt me. Please keep my son away from me."

Now, it remains up to Will County's judiciary whether Johnny Jr. will remain locked away from the community under the SAFE-T-Act. A detention hearing is set for July 8 in Courtroom 405. This past weekend, Joliet police arrested Johnny Jr., now 22, on charges of first-degree murder. Hernandez and Elian Raya are each accused of shooting three people, one fatally, at a Joliet house in the 400 block of Krakar Avenue late at night on June 1.

One of the survivors was shot four times, and he was their main target because he was a Vice Lord, while Hernandez and Raya are Joliet Latin Kings, according to Will County prosecutors. A total of 31 gunshots were fired during the late-night slaying orchestrated by Hernandez and Raya, Joliet police said.

Raya was captured and taken to Will County's Jail the day after the homicide, leading Joliet police on a wild high-speed chase that ended inside a Shorewood subdivision, court records show.

On Tuesday, Joliet Patch's editor reviewed dozens of pages of court files — all pending cases — at the Will County Courthouse involving Johnny Jr. Hernandez.

First, Johnny Jr. always retains private counsel, downtown Joliet criminal defense attorney Chuck Bretz, as his representative.

Second, Johnny Jr. has not taken any of his pending charges since 2020 to trial; his lawyer often files for continuances, and the cases move slowly through the Will County justice system.

Third, prior to the creation of the Illinois SAFE-T-Act, Bretz often successfully managed to significantly reduce the cash bail amount that was imposed by Will County's judges at the time of his client's arrest by Joliet police or Will County sheriff's deputies.

September 2020:

Charges: Aggravated discharge of a firearm, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. Hernandez was charged with shooting his gun in the direction of a silver GMC pickup truck occupied by someone. Hernandez also crashed his vehicle into someone else's vehicle at Joliet's Franklin and Benton streets, and failed to stop to give information and render aid.

June 2022:

Charges: Attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery, two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, three counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, violation of bail bond and unlawful violation of a protection order. Johnny Jr. is accused of trying to shoot his own father, John Hernandez Sr. and a woman. A co-defendant who is Johnny's brother, Angel Santiago Vargas, is also charged. Will County Sheriff's officials said the 11 p.m. shooting happened in the 500 block of Joliet Township's Miami Street.

The woman suffered two gunshot wounds, and Johnny's father was not injured by the gunfire. The couple were outside on their porch when Johnny Jr. and his older brother fired several gunshots at them, according to sheriff's reports. The woman was shot in her right elbow and the top of her right foot. Her injuries were not life-threatening. An East Joliet Fire Department ambulance rushed her to Silver Cross Hospital, where she was treated and released.

In that case, Johnny Jr. spent one month in jail and was released on July 15, 2022, when a Will County judge agreed to lower his $1 million bail down to $100,000.

August 2022:

Johnny Jr., Corey Devon Jones Jr. and Johnny's brother, Angel Santiago Vargas, are each charged as co-defendants by Joliet police with burglary and aggravated battery. On Aug. 6, around 11:40 p.m. Johnny Jr. was one of several suspects who stole a bottle of tequila from Joe's Beverage, according to Joliet police reports. When a Joe's Beverage employee approached the three regarding the theft, the employee got hit in the face and the thieves got away, according to police. The complaint accuses Johnny Jr. of being inside the Joe's Beverage Warehouse at 3001 W. Jefferson St. to commit a theft and then punching the man in the head inside Joe's Beverage Warehouse.

October 2022:

Joliet police charge Johnny Jr. with aggravated discharge of a firearm, aggravated assault and aggravated unlawful of a weapon in connection with the May 2022 of Kia Optima drive-by shooting. Johnny Jr. is accused of shooting his gun at the Kia Optima, putting the man and woman in fear of a battery. One of the charges notes that Johnny Jr. had not been issued a currently valid license under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act and he had not been issued a currently valid Firearm Owner's Identification Card.

According to Joliet police: around 6:10 p.m. on May 25, 2022, Joliet police learned of a drive-by shooting on the east side near Briggs and Cass streets, where the victim's Kia Optima was struck by multiple rounds of gunfire. At the time, a woman was driving the Kia Optima. "A male passenger of a vehicle behind the victim’s vehicle began firing a handgun at her vehicle," Joliet police noted. The woman escaped the car chasing after her by driving into Lockport. Neither victim was injured by the gunfire, but the rear of her vehicle was struck multiple times by bullets, Joliet police indicated at the time.

June 16, 2024

Johnny Jr. and Elian Raya are each charged with three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated battery with a firearm in connection with the June 1 killing of 23-year-old Fernando Contreras as he and two friends were watching a televised fight in the living room in the 400 block of Krakar Avenue; the shooting injured two other men in their 20s.

The Will County State's Attorney's Office has submitted its petition to deny pretrial release against Johnny Jr. and the hearing will take place on July 8. For now, Johnny Jr. will remain in the Will County Jail.

On Monday, just like he's done for the previous three years, downtown Joliet's Chuck Bretz filed his formal appearance at the Will County Courthouse, notifying the judges that he will defend Johnny Jr., this time for the first-degree murder charges.

Woman Shot Inside Johnny Junior's Home in 2021

Johnny Jr. comes from the 500 block of Joliet's Campbell Street, and Joliet Patch previously reported that someone was shot inside his family's home back in September 2021. A 40-year-old Joliet woman was hospitalized after being shot in the shoulder as she was sitting in her living room in the 500 block of Campbell Street that Monday night, according to Joliet police said.

The woman's gunshot wound left her hospitalized in fair condition, authorities said at the time.