San Jose police are hunting for a gang member they say crept into a home in April and shot to death a 25-year-old vintage car restorer. The manhunt is complicated because investigators say they believe Mario Jesus Hernandez, 22, may be using the identity of his identical twin.
“This is a unique case: We have a very violent suspect who has an identical twin,” said Sgt. Jason Dwyer, a department spokesman. “It makes him very difficult to find. And this could be very dangerous for his brother.”
On April 17, a woman in a South Capitol Avenue home heard a “pop, pop, pop” in another room.
After a quick search of the rooms, she found Marco Paredes, 25, fatally shot.
Police said their investigation has revealed that Hernandez sneaked in and shot the victim.
Investigators say Hernandez may be passing himself off as his brother, Gilbert. The two look almost identical, police said, both sporting similar gang tattoos.
The letter N shown in the suspect’s police photograph released Tuesday apparently signifies the name of the dominant street gang in San Jose, police said.
Anyone with information about this case may contact Detective Sgt. Rafael Nieves or Detective Glenn Albin of the San Jose Police Department, Homicide Unit, 408-277-5283. Persons wishing to remain anonymous may call the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers, 408-947-STOP (7867), or visit http://svcrimestoppers.org, and may be eligible for a reward.
