Luis Hernandez: Man arrested for smoking in subway charged with 2020 Queens murder

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK: It was discovered that a man who was apprehended by New York City police last week for smoking in the subway was a murder suspect from almost four years earlier.

Luis Hernandez, 36, was placed under arrest after Transit District 34 police conducted a background investigation on him. Hernandez was wanted for his involvement in the gang-related murder of 21-year-old Richard Hernandez in Astoria on February 9, 2020.

Luis Hernandez 'denied stabbing anyone'

After Luis Hernandez was taken to Queens by the authorities, he was shown images and videos taken by detectives of him at the 2020 murder scene. After seeing the footage, he is said to have said things that implicated him.

The New York Daily News reports that he was charged with murder, gang assault, and possession of a weapon. “Mr Hernandez has pleaded not guilty and fully intends on fighting the charges against him,” his attorney, Mahmoud Rabah, stated.

“There appears to be no scientific evidence or even physical evidence to support the charges. My client was questioned for hours when he was arrested on Friday and emphatically denied stabbing anyone.”

Rabah stated that "poor quality, grainy, and unclear surveillance video" is the foundation of the state's case. Hernandez resides in the Maspeth neighborhood and has no history of arrests, the report states.

He was charged in Queens Criminal Court, and it was decided that he would not be allowed to leave the country. “Mr Hernandez is a committed father of a young child,” Rabah added.

“He is a hardworking immigrant who has held a stable job in a meat processing plant for years. He completely maintains his innocence and looks forward to his day in court.”

Is Luis Hernandez related to Richard Hernandez?

Luis Hernandez is not related to the victim, Richard Hernandez, as per The Messenger's report. Eyewitness accounts state that four years ago, there was a brawl before one attacker used a machete and another a knife.

The victim and the attacker happened to live a few blocks apart.

After being brought to a nearby hospital, he was declared deceased. More witnesses and accomplices are still wanted by the investigators. They think that gangs are involved in the attack.