Sacramento District Attorney's Office
03/24/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/24/2026 16:27
Defendant Convicted of Stabbing Murder
DATE: March 24, 2026
CASE: Arturo Hernandez (Case #17FE022753)
PROSECUTOR: Deputy District Attorney Cody Winchester, Homicide Unit
Arturo Hernandez was convicted by a jury of the second-degree murder of Anthony Freas. The jury also found true the allegation that Hernandez personally used a weapon.
Hernandez was estranged from his wife when she began dating the victim. When Hernandez learned of their relationship, he got angry. One night, Hernandez tried reaching the wife by phone, but she did not respond. The wife had fallen asleep with the victim at her apartment. While the pair slept, Hernandez entered her apartment without permission and went to her bedroom. As the victim slept, Hernandez stabbed him multiple times, killing him. Hernandez then fled the apartment and escaped to Mexico, where he hid for approximately five years before being taken into custody and extradited back to Sacramento for trial.
Hernandez faces a maximum sentence of 16 years to life in prison. Sentencing is set for April 17, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in Department 24 before the Honorable Alyson Lewis.
Sacramento District Attorney's Office published this content on March 24, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 24, 2026 at 22:27 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]