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The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
A man accused of the brutal murder of an Ooltewah woman over fourteen years ago is finally expected to stand trial.
In 2011, a warrant was issued for Jose Angel Hernandez in connection with the killing of 34-year-old hairdresser Jeimy Baquero, with whom he had once been in a relationship.
His former girlfriend was beaten to death and left in a closet in a home that he was renting. After law enforcement was unable to locate Hernandez, it was believed that he had left the United States and traveled to Mexico.
Then, in 2019, Hernandez was arrested for first-degree murder. It took another four years and eight months before Hernandez was taken into custody in Matamoros, Mexico by Mexican authorities. Turned over to the U.S. Marshal’s Service in Mexico City, Hernandez was eventually relocated to Hamilton County to be held at the county jail.
According to the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office, Baquero was found dead in the home on Shady Oak Drive in Ooltewah after the homeowner reported a body in the rental property. According to the homeowner, he had sent the previous tenant packing after discovering some things about him that were unsettling.
Upon unwrapping Baquero’s body from the blankets she had been found in, it was discovered that she had been brutally beaten until she died. According to a medical examiner’s report, someone struck Baquero with blunt force over twenty times with an unknown object.
Baquero’s head and body suffered major trauma, with her hands and forearms described as a solid mass of bruises. The cause of her death was a fatal blow to her head. She was identified by her husband by her tattoos.
State prosecutors are waiting on an outstanding lab report before holding a conference with Hernandez’s defense on October 22nd.
According to a neighbor’s report, Hernandez was seen at the rental home during the time that Baquero’s murder took place. The neighbor recognized Hernandez as a former roommate of Baqero’s.
A man who gave Hernandez a ride to a shuttle to go to Atlanta, and then onto Mexico, also confirmer that Hernandez was at the home at the time of the murder.
According to Hamilton County Police, a potential murder weapon was recovered from the crime scene, along with blood evidence, and evidence that links the victim to Hernandez.
Hernandez chose not to speak when he stood in court last Friday before Criminal Court Judge Barry Steelman. Prosecutors for the state expect his trial to begin in December.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
Finally.