California fugitive accused of killing police commander in Mexico

A convicted murderer who escaped custody from correction officers in California in December is now accused of killing a Mexican police commander.

Cesar Hernandez, 34, who was serving a life sentence for murder, escaped from the custody of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on Dec. 2, according to a flyer released by the U.S. Embassy in Mexico and the U.S. Marshals Service on Friday.

The flyer said Hernandez killed a Mexican State Citizen Security Forces agent on Wednesday as law enforcement tried to apprehend him. It included a mug shot of Hernandez and described him as “dangerous,” armed and having violent tendencies.

The U.S. Marshals Service confirmed the incident in a statement to NBC News and identified the agent shot and killed as Mexico Police Commander Abigail Esparza Reyes.

The USMS said its personnel were in the area but not involved in the shooting incident. The law enforcement agency added that U.S. authorities rendered aid to Reyes before she succumbed to her injuries.

“Those who commit violence against law enforcement officers will be held accountable,” the law enforcement agency said.

Officials are offering a reward of $35,000 for information leading to Hernandez’s arrest.

Before he escaped, the 34-year-old was serving a sentence of 80 years to life for first-degree murder in a 2019 killing in Los Angeles County, according to NBC affiliate KGET in California.

Hernandez was set to appear in Delano court the morning of Dec. 2, after pleading no contest to manufacturing a weapon and possessing drugs in prison, KGET reported.

Video of Hernandez’s escape shows him running across an empty field without shackles or handcuffs, according to the local outlet.

Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood told KGET in December that Hernandez likely used a self-made key to break free from the chains before punching a guard and running through an open gate in the transfer parking lot of the courthouse.

A spokesperson for the CDCR confirmed there was an active investigation “related to Cesar Hernandez in Tijuana,” but declined to comment further.