A Winter Haven, Florida, woman has become the second suspect arrested in connection with the murder of 20-year-old Sierra Hernandez after human remains were found in a pile of burnt materials.
fox 13 Tampa Bay News reported that 44-year-old Daphne Fernandez appeared in court on Wednesday and is charged with attempted felony murder, abuse of a corpse, kidnapping and aiding and abetting after the fact.
Her court appearance comes a day after Polk County Sheriff's Office detectives arrested 26-year-old Enrique Martinez, the suspect in the murders of Edir Rodriguez and Hernandez, who were killed at a homeless camp on Nov. 8, 2023. It was conducted.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said Martinez had been on the run for two months when he was found wandering the sidewalk near Cooley Road and SR 540 in Winter Haven on Tuesday.
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(The Polk County Sheriff's Office has identified 44-year-old Daphne Fernandez in connection with the death of a 20-year-old missing woman, saying a pile of burnt material in Fernandez's backyard contained human remains.) was arrested.)
“He was very good at avoiding us at one point, but our best lieutenants and detectives never gave up,” Judd said.
The station reported that on Jan. 14, Hernandez's mother, Rita Thomas, reported her daughter missing for several days, according to court documents.
An investigation revealed that a witness had said he saw Fernandez and Martinez, who was already wanted for the first-degree murder of Rodriguez, at his Winter Haven home on Jan. 10.
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Sierra Hernandez, 20, was reported missing on January 14, but investigators believe she had been missing for several days. (Polk County Sheriff's Office)
Witnesses told investigators they saw Martinez and Fernandez standing in their son's room while another person, believed to be Hernandez, was being held against his will with his wrists and hands bound. Told.
When the witness intervened and asked what Fernandez and Martinez were doing, Fernandez charged at the witness, who ran from the home.
On January 15, Fernandez was spotted driving Hernandez's Ford Crown Victoria in the Lakeland, Florida area when he was stopped by a Polk County Sheriff's Office deputy.
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Enrique Martinez, 26, was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon in Polk County, Florida. (Polk County Sheriff's Office)
She was eventually arrested for driving with a suspended license.
The sheriff's office obtained a search warrant for Fernandez's home four days after his arrest, and during the search, investigators reportedly discovered Hernandez's medical documents from Jan. 8. ing.
Investigators also claimed to have found a large pile of burnt material, including human remains, in the backyard of the home.
Upon further investigation, detectives alleged that Fernandez lied about why he owned Hernandez's car, helped cover up the 20-year-old's murder, and assisted Martinez to avoid arrest.
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Fernandez is being held in the Polk County Jail with bail set at $1 million.
Fox News Digital's Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
