St. Croix Man Arrested Following Alleged Firearm Incident and Dispute Over Relationship

ST. CROIX — Daniel Hernandez faces serious felony charges following an incident where he allegedly fired a weapon during a confrontation that stemmed from a romantic dispute.

Late in the evening on April 13, just before 10:30 p.m., a distress call was made to 911 by a man reporting gunfire at his home in Frederiksted. He claimed that Daniel Hernandez, whom he identified as his girlfriend’s husband, arrived at his Estate Carlton residence, leading to a physical altercation. The caller reported that after he and his girlfriend retreated inside, Hernandez fired a shot through the glass door and reached in to unlock it, subsequently forcing his wife to leave with him under threat of violence.

According to the caller, Hernandez and his wife left the scene in his vehicle. The woman contacted 911 from a hotel several hours later to report her whereabouts. Upon arriving at the hotel, officers detained Hernandez without incident and discovered ammunition in his vehicle.

During the investigation, the woman provided a different perspective, indicating she was picked up by Hernandez after work, had dinner, and then went to a hotel to make a reservation. She recounted that she went to her boyfriend’s residence to avoid her husband seeing her there, but Hernandez unexpectedly showed up, leading to the altercation.

The woman expressed her intention to not remain with her boyfriend, describing ongoing harassment and assaults from him. She returned to the apartment to preempt further conflicts, which escalated when both men confronted each other.

Police found physical evidence of the shooting at the boyfriend’s home, including a bullet hole through a door. Hernandez, however, denied possessing or firing a gun. Despite his denial and lack of a gun license, the visible injuries to all parties and the forensic evidence led to his arrest on multiple charges, including home invasion, burglary, illegal possession of a firearm, assault, property destruction, and disturbing the peace.

After appearing in court before Magistrate Yolan Brow Ross, Hernandez’s initial charges were adjusted following a motion from the prosecution to amend the complaint, which was unopposed by the defense. The judge set bail at $100,000, with a portion paid in cash and the remainder secured through a bond.

Daniel Hernandez is slated to return to court on May 1 for further proceedings in this complex case.