Willow Glen, California Since 1992
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By I-chun Che A 43-year-old man suspected of raping a Gardner Academy second-grader last year in northern Willow Glen is in jail and has been identified by San Jose police as Mario Antonio Hernandez. Police authorities said that his DNA matched the genetic evidence left behind by the man who kidnapped and raped the 8-year-old girl as she walked to school alone last year on April 28. DNA tests have also linked him to two other rapes, in East Palo Alto and Santa Ana, as well as an attack on a Redwood City girl. Hernandez is being held at the San Mateo County Jail without bail. He has been detained since his May 29 arrest at his parents' San Mateo residence on charges of kidnapping and fondling two young girls. Authorities took a sample of Hernandez's DNA, and the Santa Clara County crime lab confirmed that his DNA matches that in the case of the Willow Glen girl. Santa Clara County prosecutors filed nine felony charges on June 11 in the San Jose case - five counts of suspicion of aggravated sexual assault against a child; two counts of committing a lewd act by force; one count of dissuading a witness by force or threat; and one count of threats to commit death or injury. San Jose police spokesman Sgt. Steve Dixon said that the 8-year-old girl smiled as tears ran down her face when investigators told her and her family that they had identified the man who had raped her. "She went through a great ordeal," Dixon said. "Although she has recovered physically, it may take her years to recover emotionally from the traumatic experience." Dixon said that the girl had undergone several surgeries to treat her injuries. "Her suffering is not over yet because she will need to testify when the case is tried at Santa Clara Superior Court," Dixon added. Dixon said that Hernandez is likely to be tried at San Mateo County Superior Court first because he is in the county jail's custody. But there is a possibility that he may be tried at Santa Clara County Superior Court first because of the strong evidence against him in the San Jose case. "The DNA test is foolproof," Dixon said. Hernandez is suspected of committing sexual assaults in the same pattern around the Bay Area, beginning in March 2000. According to police, he approached the Redwood City girl and asked her in Spanish if she would help him fix his bicycle. After the victim helped him fix the bicycle, he allegedly took her to a field near some railroad tracks and raped her at knifepoint. In the Willow Glen case, he allegedly told the Gardner Academy student that he would pay her if she helped him repair his blue bike. Then, according to police, he took her to the creek bed at the intersection of McLellan Avenue and Willow Street, just east of Highway 87, and committed the rape. After the incident, San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales announced a $10,000 reward for information about the case. In November of 2001, the California Department of Justice informed San Jose police that DNA testing showed that the suspect was tied to three other sexual assaults in addition to the Willow Glen case. Police first thought that the suspect was a homeless man traveling through California by train or bus because of his high mobility, but they later found out the suspect might be a family man driving a blue pickup truck. Hernandez's arrest ended a two-year investigation, but San Mateo police said he might be involved in more child molestation cases, so they could not release a suspect photo before more victims come forward and identify him. Gardner Academy Principal Nicolas A. Flores, 55, sent home a letter on June 10 with each of his 565 students, telling their parents and guardians that a suspect has been captured and identified. In the letter, the principal said "the identification of the suspect in the April 2001 rape case involving one of our students has been confirmed. ... The apprehension of the suspect has been a long time coming, and we welcome the news." In a telephone interview with the Willow Glen Resident, Flores said, "We are relieved to know the man is off the street. But even though the incident happened more than a year ago, we mustn't lose our sense of community, and we must continue to be aware of dangers." Flores said that the school has held several violence prevention programs since the attack. "Our children have become more aware of strangers, " Flores said. "This awareness has helped them process the incident." Although students seem to have recovered from the tragedy, parents in the Gardner neighborhood are still concerned about possible crimes. "It's never going to be safe, because child predators are everywhere," said Evelia Diaz, who has lived in the Gardner area for eight years. She said when her 2-year-old son, Andrew, is old enough, she will walk him to school every day. Diaz urged parents to educate their children about street dangers and teach them how to protect themselves. Estela Valencia, 50, said that she and her husband, Carlos, never let their 8-year-old granddaughter, a Gardner Academy second-grader, walk to school by herself, even though the school is just three blocks away from her house. Valencia, who has lived in the Gardner area for 24 years, said she did so when her three children were attending Gardner Academy. "I trust people in the neighborhood," Valencia said. "But I don't trust people coming to our neighborhood from other areas." San Jose District 3 Councilwoman Cindy Chavez, who represents the area in which the assault occurred, said she still feels nervous and encourages residents to work together to ensure that children are safe. "I don't want to let down my guard," Chavez said. "We have to stay vigilant in the protection of our neighborhood. The more we pay attention, the safer our community will be." Hernandez's first hearing was scheduled for June 24 in San Mateo County Superior Court. If convicted, he will face a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison. Lara Aziz, client services coordinator of the San Jose YWCA's Rape Crisis Center, has been working with the girl and her family since last April. She said survivors of sexual assault often experience feelings of anger, depression and fear. According to Aziz, many survivors blame themselves and believe that the sexual assault would not have happened if they had acted differently. "We can all make choices to try to keep ourselves safe, but none of those choices can guarantee our safety if someone wants to hurt us," Aziz said. "The perpetrators should be held accountable." "The survivors can never forget about what happened to them," Aziz said. "But like everyone else in the world, they all find ways to overcome trauma in their lives." |
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