Suspects in Georgia murder, kidnapping arrested at Beach Park motel
Two men are being held at the Lake County jail on murder, kidnapping and sexual assault charges after a woman was shot dead near Atlanta.
Lake County sheriff's deputies and detectives from the Criminal Investigations Unit, Special Investigations Unit and the U.S. Marshal's Service located the suspects and a kidnapping victim inside a Beach Park motel about 3 a.m. May 2, police announced Monday.
Police were alerted to the American Inn Motel, 39018 Sheridan Road, by the victim who was kidnapped in Georgia and sexually assaulted while en route to the Chicago area, according to the Lake County sheriff's office.
Police said the kidnapping victim was able to send a text message to a friend with the motel's location, and the friend alerted authorities.
About two days before his arrest, 22-year-old Cristian De La O Hernandez met the kidnapping victim and Maria J. Ramon at a dance club in DeKalb, Ga, according to police. Hernandez, who is originally from Zion, talked the women into leaving the club and going to a different bar across town in Ramon's vehicle, police said.
While driving to the bar, Hernandez pulled out a handgun, began firing shots out the window and pointed the gun at Ramon, according to police. He then ordered her to stop the car so he could drive and told the second victim to take off her clothes and get in the back seat, police said.
Hernandez began groping Ramon as he was driving, and when she resisted his advances, he grabbed her hand and shot her in the head, killing her, police said.
After shooting Ramon on April 30, Hernandez drove back to pick up his vehicle, according to police. He left Ramon's body in her vehicle, where DeKalb County police found her about six hours later, police said.
Police said Hernandez contacted an associate, Jose Juarez-Vidales, who had been with him earlier in the night and told him he needed help taking guns to the Chicago area.
Hernandez told Juarez-Vidales that the second victim was "his girl" and the three of them drove to the Chicago area sometime after the killing, police said.
Hernandez sexually assaulted the victim multiple times during the trip, according to police.
The victim was taken to Vista East Hospital after police arrested Hernandez and Juarez-Vidales at the motel, and she was later released to relatives in Georgia.
Major case detectives from DeKalb, Ga., flew to Lake County to assist with the investigation, where they connected the suspects to the killing of Ramon, according to police.
Hernandez is being held without bail on a murder warrant out of DeKalb, Ga., and is facing aggravated criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual assault and kidnapping charges through Lake County. A Lake County judge set his bail at $1 million.
Juarez-Vidales, 41, of Rosewood, Ga., is being held on a murder warrant out of DeKalb County, Ga.
Both suspects were issued fugitive from justice tickets by Lake County authorities.