Aaron Joseph Hernandez

On the evening of January 18, 2023, the life of Aaron Joseph Hernandez, an 18-year-old Hispanic male, was tragically ended by gunfire in a west Phoenix neighborhood. Just after 8 p.m., Phoenix police responded to reports of a shooting near 83rd Avenue and Indian School Road. Officers arrived to find Aaron Hernandez with gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The investigation revealed that Aaron and two other men had driven a Chrysler 300 to the area to meet with 19-year-old Anthony Sera-Ballestero, reportedly to sell him marijuana. As they arrived, another man, 19-year-old Robert Alexis Hernandez, approached their car and entered the backseat. A few moments later, Robert Hernandez allegedly exited the vehicle and pointed a rifle-style handgun at the occupants. At the same time, Sera-Ballestero reportedly walked to the driver’s side of the car and began firing a gun.

During the chaos, the driver and the rear passenger of the Chrysler managed to run away. According to police documents, Sera-Ballestero shot Aaron Hernandez multiple times as he tried to get out of the front passenger door. In the exchange of gunfire, another passenger in the car was wounded, as was Robert Hernandez. He fled the area and was picked up by an unknown person who dropped him off at a local hospital for treatment.

Phoenix Police Department detectives launched an extensive investigation. They located Robert Hernandez at the hospital and learned he had two outstanding felony warrants. Through evidence and interviews, they identified him as a suspect in the homicide. On January 24, 2023, Robert Hernandez, who is not related to the victim, was arrested and booked into jail on multiple charges, including first-degree murder and armed robbery.

Detectives continued to work the case, which led them to their second suspect. After searching Anthony Sera-Ballestero’s Facebook account, they reportedly found messages about the shooting and photos of him posing with a gun. Authorities also noted that he had a juvenile record and was prohibited from possessing firearms. On March 20, 2023, police arrested Sera-Ballestero in connection with the fatal shooting. As of March 2023, the case was moving forward with litigation against the suspects.