A second individual charged in connection with the brutal beating and strangulation of a New Jersey kindergarten teacher and mother of three, whose remains were discovered in a shallow grave, is now in custody in the United States following extradition from Colombia.
Leiner Miranda Lopez, 28, who had been on the run, was taken into custody on Wednesday in connection with the 2023 death of Luz Hernandez, 33, as confirmed by Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez in a statement.
Lopez has been brought to the U.S. from Colombia following his arrest by Colombian authorities on June 14, 2023, as part of a provisional arrest request from the U.S., according to prosecutors. He was transferred to U.S. authorities at Newark Liberty International Airport and is currently detained at the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
In 2023, he faced charges including murder, hindering, improper disposal of human remains, tampering with evidence, and desecration or concealment of human remains, according to prosecutors. Cesar Santana, 38, who is the estranged husband of Hernandez and the father of her children, is also facing charges in this case, according to Law&Crime.
On February 6, 2023, Hernandez’s family reported her missing after she failed to arrive for her position as a kindergarten teacher at BelovED Community Charter School in Jersey City.
During the search of her apartment, officers discovered what appeared to be bloodstains in the bedroom, along with cleaning supplies, a mop, and a slight odor of bleach, as detailed in an affidavit that was previously covered by Law&Crime.
On February 7, 2023, Hernandez’s remains were discovered in a shallow grave located in an industrial zone, just three miles from her apartment in Jersey City. The medical examiner determined that she had experienced blunt force trauma to the head and compressions to the neck.
During the investigation, officials discovered documentation indicating that Santana’s Honda had been impounded the day prior to Hernandez’s disappearance due to an expired registration. Authorities noticed Santana and an accomplice placing a black and yellow bin into the vehicle and seized the car following Santana’s citation.
During the investigation of Santana’s vehicle, authorities discovered a significant black and yellow wheeled container, a shovel with what seemed to be black hairs, a pickaxe, rope that appeared to have black hair and blood stains, along with clear plastic sheeting showing signs of bloodstains and soil, according to the affidavit. “The cord resembled the cord close to the tomb.”
The day following Hernandez’s disappearance, Santana went to church with their kids, as shared by a cousin to New York’s WNBC.
“He went to the church with the kids as if nothing was amiss,” the cousin shared with the outlet.
Days later, he was located at a motel in Miami and taken into custody.
The loss has left the victim’s family, friends, colleagues, and young students in deep sorrow.
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