SAN ANTONIO – A man will spend decades in prison for a fatal shooting that prosecutors said stemmed from a planned shoe purchase.
Daniel Hernandez Jr. has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder of Ricky De Los Santos, according to a press release from the Office of Bexar County Criminal District Attorney Joe D. Gonzales. The sentence was handed down in the 227th District Court, presided over by Judge Christine Del Prado.
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Prosecutors said that in April 2024, authorities determined Hernandez and co-defendant Diego Salazar went to purchase a pair of tennis shoes from De Los Santos. During the encounter, Hernandez shot De Los Santos with an AK-47-style rifle, and De Los Santos died that night.
Before his death, De Los Santos identified Hernandez as the shooter, information prosecutors said provided investigators with critical details that led to Hernandez’s arrest.
Assistant Criminal District Attorney Rebecca Gorham of the Criminal Trial Division led the prosecution, with support from Victim Advocate Becky Garza and Investigator Bruce Hallonquist, the release said.
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“While no sentence can undo the loss of a life, this outcome holds the defendant accountable for the violence that took Ricky De Los Santos from his loved ones,” District Attorney Joe Gonzales said. “We are grateful that Ricky was able to identify his attacker, and we remain committed to pursuing justice for victims and their families.”