Arrest made in death of Jersey City kindergarten teacher who was found dead in a shallow grave after she was beaten and strangled

Luz Hernandez 33, a mother of three, died of blunt force trauma to the head and compressions to the neck, according to autopsy results

Her employer, BelovED Charter School, reported her missing Monday after she failed to show up for work that day

Jersey City police conducted a welfare check at her Van Horne Street home on Tuesday, apparently found evidence of a crime

Officials say the suspect is believed to be the father of Hernandez’s children was arrested in Florida on Thursday

The victim’s estranged husband Cesar Santana, 36, has been arrested after he was tracked to Miami

Another suspect, Leiner Lopez, is still being sought by authorities in connection with the killing

Santana is initially being held on charges of desecration of human remains

He will likely face additional charges when he returns to New Jersey 

Authorities have made an arrest in the death of a Jersey City kindergarten teacher who was found dead in a shallow grave on Tuesday, February 7, after she was beaten and strangled.
Police arrested the male suspect man in connection to the mysterious death of New Jersey teacher Luz Hernandez in Florida, on Thursday. Sources said the suspect is believed to be the father of the victim’s children.
While the name of the suspect has not been released, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office announced there would be “more to follow” in “the death investigation of Luz Hernandez.”
Hernandez, 33, a mother of three, died of blunt force trauma to the head and compressions to the neck, according to autopsy results released earlier by the prosecutor’s office.
Hernandez was last seen on Saturday when she went to visit a relative with her children, who spent the following day with their dad, WNBC reported.

Hernandez was separated from her husband Junior Santana, according to ABC 7.
Santana reportedly, was in church with the children on Sunday. Her sister said that the couple separated in November but Santana continued to live in the home, constantly giving excuses as to why he couldn’t leave.  Santana, 36 who was seen smirking in his mugshot was been arrested in Miami in connection with the case.
A second suspect identified as Leiner Lopez, 26 is still at large. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is urged to contact the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office.

Hernandez was a teacher at BelovED Charter School. The school reported her missing Monday after she failed to show up for work.
Jersey City Police Department conducted a welfare check on Van Horne Street Tuesday just before 1 p.m. and found “blood splatters” on the door of the apartment and contacted the prosecutor’s office for assistance.

Hernandez ‘s body was recovered a short time later on Tuesday afternoon, in a shallow grave in an industrial area of Kearny, north of the Pulaski Skyway, lying in “what appeared to be a shallow grave” near Central Avenue and Third Street in Kearny, Hudson County Prosecutor said.
During the course of the investigation, police also found blood splatters at apartment on another section of Van Horne Street.

The Princeton University alum was due to graduate from St.Peter’s College with her Masters in Education, in May. In a crowdfunding campaign established to raise money for a scholarship fund for her children, Hernandez’s sister said she was a victim of domestic violence. The campaign so far has raised $15,000 of $20,000 target.
“We can’t live without her, I’ll never fill this void,” her sister, Jenny Taveras, told WNBC in Spanish. Hernandez’s cousin Yajaira Germosen said: “She was a really good mother. She was kind, oh my God. She was a beautiful person. We are going to miss her so much. I cannot speak, it’s unbelievable.”
The suspect is initially being held in Florida on charges of desecration of human remains. He will likely face additional charges when he returns to New Jersey.