Police Reveal How Jacob Hernandez Was Gunned Down and Murdered

Authorities have disclosed details surrounding the alleged shooting murder of Jacob Hernandez.

According to police, 18-year-old Kristopher Lozano of San Angelo was arrested on September 27, 2023, in connection with the fatal shooting of Jacob Hernandez.

Court documents reveal that on the morning of August 7, 2023, at approximately 5:45 a.m., San Angelo police officers responded to a report of a shooting victim on the 600 block of East 34th Street. Upon arrival, officers found Hernandez lying face down in the street, deceased from multiple gunshot wounds. Five spent .45 caliber Hornady cartridge cases were recovered near Hernandez’s body.

During the investigation, a bystander provided a video and audio recording from the time of the incident to police. The recording captured three audible gunshots, followed by two individuals fleeing westbound on the 600 block of East 34th Street.

In a neighborhood canvass, two individuals shared with police text messages indicating that there had been a dispute between Lozano and Hernandez, and that they had heard gunshots.

A witness provided a text message exchange between her and Hernandez, dated around 2:40 a.m. In the messages, Hernandez inquired about who held a grudge against him, further stating his willingness to confront Lozano for any disrespectful comments. This text was sent about an hour before Hernandez was fatally shot.

Police seized a tablet belonging to Hernandez which, according to his grandmother, was his sole means of communication.

Text messages from Instagram profile “kris.223”, alleged to belong to Lozano, revealed a message to Hernandez at around 3:36 a.m., suggesting a physical confrontation. Hernandez responded defiantly, challenging Lozano just minutes before the shooting occurred.

At approximately 7:48 p.m., a handgun was discovered under suspicious circumstances on the 400 block of East 23rd Street. The Glock 36 .45 caliber handgun was later identified as belonging to Nicholas Martinez, who confirmed that Lozano had visited his residence around 4 a.m.

A CSI technician confirmed that the ammunition brand in the handgun matched the spent cartridges found at the crime scene.

On August 8, 2023, authorities executed a search warrant at a residence on the 400 block of East 23rd Street, where an electronic device belonging to Martinez was seized from his bedroom.

Further interviews established that Hernandez and Lozano had planned to meet for a physical confrontation.

On August 25, 2023, a new witness provided a statement at the police station concerning the homicide. Found credible, the witness pinpointed Martinez's location, leading to his arrest. The witness also divulged that Lozano enlisted Martinez for the confrontation due to his access to a firearm, confirming that Martinez was armed enroute to the encounter.

Martinez was arrested for murder on August 25, 2023, and is currently detained at the Tom Green County Jail.

Lozano was arrested for murder on September 27, 2023, by the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office and is also currently detained at the Tom Green County Jail.