He was beaten to death in a Fresno-area alley. His family offers reward for killers’ capture

A Fresno family Tuesday pleaded for help finding the killer of Ernesto Hernandez, 53, who was found severely beaten in an alley in the Mayfair District on Feb. 24 and died of his injuries on March 2.

The family is putting up $500 to augment a $2,000 Crime Stoppers reward leading to an arrest in the slaying of Hernandez. The murder took place in an alley near Mayfair Drive Between East Normal Avenue and Norris Drive West. A passerby found Hernandez lying in the alley and he was rushed to intensive care, where he died six days later.

The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the murder, which took place in a county island.

Hernandez’s sister, Isabel Riley, described her brother as a gentle man who did not deserve to die alone in an alley. She said that Hernandez told his mother, who lives in the neighborhood, that he was going for a walk before he was found beaten hours later.

“We want the murderers caught,” she said. “We want justice for our brother and our mom.

“No one in our family can fathom any reason for anyone to be beaten to death, especially our own brother, who I can say with confidence didn’t have an enemy.”

To the killers, she said:

“What you did is nearly unforgivable, and all things done in darkness eventually come to light. You got away with beating a helpless individual to death, but it doesn’t end there.”

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 559-498-7867.

This story was originally published March 19, 2019 at 2:12 PM.