NYPD searching for bail-reform activist in connection to midtown shooting

Pedro Hernandez, 22, is wanted in connection to an August 28 Midtown shooting that stemmed from a game of "three-card monte."

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
A New York City man who became a symbol for bail reform is now being sought by police for attempted murder outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Pedro Hernandez, 22, is wanted in connection to an August 28 Midtown shooting that stemmed from a game of "three-card monte," reported the New York Post.  



Hernandez, who also has three other open gun cases against him, is suspected of firing into an occupied red Mercedes Benz after losing money and jewelry in the street game.

According to the New York Post, Hernandez was at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 50th Street around 5:45 pm when he lost the money and jewelry while playing three-card monte with two men. Furious, he demanded his items be returned, and allegedly fired a single shot into the car when the men refused and began to drive away, sources said.

Then, Hernandez allegedly got into his own car, followed the men into a parking garage, and began chasing them on foot.

One of the men dropped Hernandez’s items while running, which Hernandez picked up before fleeing. Both of the men who were shot at were later taken into custody on unrelated open warrants.

One of the priors among his over 15 arrests involved a Bronx bodega shooting in 2015. Hernandez, then a minor, was offered a plea deal that would have spared him jail time, but he refused to take it and opted to instead be remanded in 2017 to Rikers Island while held on a $250,000 bail.

He quickly became a criminal justice reform celebrity, with activists taking notice of the young man and believing his innocence. He was eventually bailed out of jail on a reduced amount of $100,000 by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation, reported the New York Times. The charges against him were later dropped after a key witness refused to cooperate.

Hernandez was such a star in the activism world that he was invited to a gala to meet former President Barack Obama. However, just hours before he was scheduled to chat with the Democratic politician, he was arrested again for driving with a suspended license.

Then in April 2019, Hernandez was charged in a Bronx robbery with three accomplices, with the victim suffering a wound to his face that required 15 stitches. Hernandez was later released from custody after posting $15,000 bail.

Hernandez insists that he's been victimized and targeted by law enforcement, and has a pending lawsuit against the city and the NYPD claiming false arrest.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign in to comment

Comments

Powered by StructureCMS™ Comments

Join and support independent free thinkers!

We’re independent and can’t be cancelled. The establishment media is increasingly dedicated to divisive cancel culture, corporate wokeism, and political correctness, all while covering up corruption from the corridors of power. The need for fact-based journalism and thoughtful analysis has never been greater. When you support The Post Millennial, you support freedom of the press at a time when it's under direct attack. Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1.

Support The Post Millennial

Remind me next month

To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
ADVERTISEMENT
© 2024 The Post Millennial, Privacy Policy