News Releases

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced today that Alexander Hernandez was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for a 2014 shooting spree that left five people dead.

“Alexander Hernandez’s killing spree affected many families and traumatized the community,” said District Attorney Gascón. “With this sentence he will be held accountable for the pain he caused and will never threaten anyone in the community again.”

Hernandez (dob 5/12/80) of Sylmar was convicted last May of five counts of special circumstance murder, 11 counts of attempted murder, eight counts of shooting at an occupied motor vehicle, three counts of animal cruelty, two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon and one count each of possession of ammunition by a felon and negligent discharge of firearm.

Hernandez went on a random shooting spree between March and August, 2014. The killings began on March 14 with the shooting of Sergio Sanchez, 35, as he drove on the 210 Freeway in Sylmar. In the days that followed, Hernandez shot and killed Gilardo Morales, 48, Mariana Franco, 23, Michael Planells, 29, and Gloria Tovar, 59.

Planells was killed as he walked in a park in Sylmar. The rest of the shootings occurred as the victims were in vehicles, either driving or parked. Nearly a dozen other victims were shot at in their vehicles during the same time period but survived the attacks.

The case was investigated by the Los Angeles Police and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s departments.