The 65-year-old Hollister man accused of attempted murder in
connection with a shooting at the Hernandez Labor Camp in June is
scheduled to return to court Tuesday, according to records.
The 65-year-old Hollister man accused in a shooting at the Hernandez Labor Camp in June is scheduled to return to court Tuesday, according to records.
The suspect, Maximo Hernandez, has a pre-preliminary examination hearing set for 2 p.m. Tuesday in room 101 at the San Benito County Courthouse before Judge Steven Sanders. Public defender Greg LaForge is representing Hernandez, who has a subsequent preliminary examination scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Friday before retired Judge Thomas Breen. At a preliminary examination, a judge weighs if there is enough evidence for a trial.
The district attorney’s office has charged Hernandez with a felony count of assault with a firearm on a person, along with a special allegation of using a firearm to cause great bodily injury.
If convicted, the assault charge carries a penalty of two to four years in the state prison, while the special allegation could enhance that punishment.
The suspect was arrested June 8 on suspicion of attempted murder, less than a day after Hollister resident Santos Vasques, 21, was found with a gunshot wound to his face at the labor camp on Fallon Road, according to the county sheriff’s office.
Investigators believe that Vasques and Hernandez, who were both residents of the labor camp, got into an argument while working in the fields. Investigators believe it ended around 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, when authorities allege Hernandez shot Vasques in the face, according to witness reports.
After the gunshot, Hernandez fled the scene on foot, according the sheriff’s office. After searching the area, the sheriff’s office did not find the weapon. Hernandez was arrested the next day after deputies received a tip about his location on McCloskey Road.
Vasques was flown by helicopter to a San Jose-area hospital where he was in stable condition with non-life threatening injuries.
Hernandez is booked at the San Benito Couty Jail with his bail set at $500,000.
