DATE: July 10, 2026
CASE: Arturo Hernandez (Case #17FE022753)
PROSECUTOR: Deputy District Attorney Cody Winchester, Homicide Unit
The Honorable Alyson Lewis sentenced Arturo Hernandez to 16 years to life in prison. On March 24, 2026, Hernandez was convicted by a jury of second-degree murder. 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, Anthony Freas. Hernandez got angry when he learned of their relationship. One night, Hernandez tried reaching his wife by phone, but she did not respond. His 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.