Fugitive murderer may have used homemade key to escape shackles: report

A convicted murderer from Los Angeles County may have used a makeshift key to shed his handcuffs and shackles before making a brazen escape last week.

According to a report from Kern County radio host Ralph Bailey, Cesar Hernandez may have used a manufactured key to pick the lock of his cuffs during a transport to a courthouse in Delano.

“He had a cuff key that enabled him to unshackle himself,” Bailey said, citing law enforcement sources. Additional homemade keys may have also been found in Hernandez’s cell, he added.

If accurate, the claim answers a question posed by many after exclusive video obtained by KTLA sister station KGET showed an unshackled Hernandez easily outrunning a trailing guard.

While it sounds like something out of a Steve McQueen film, the idea that the convicted murderer made his own key to escape his cuffs might have some merit.

Hernandez, 34, was en route to a Delano courthouse to enter a no-contest plea for manufacturing a weapon in his cell.

When reached for comment Monday, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation would neither confirm nor deny claims that Hernandez picked the lock on his cuffs or that he attacked a guard as part of the escape. Additional claims made by Bailey that Hernandez may have been a high-ranking member of the Mexican Mafia were also given the “no comment” treatment.

“The incident is an active investigation, and we are not providing further details at this time,” a CDCR spokesperson told KTLA.

Hernandez was convicted of first-degree murder in Los Angeles County in 2019 and was sentenced to 80 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole. A “third strike” offense according to California law, his charges related to manufacturing a weapon behind bars could’ve resulted in him losing any chance at parole.

Hernandez is described as 5 feet 5 inches, weighing about 160 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair and was last seen wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, which has likely been discarded by now.

Although the search for the fugitive killer, who is considered dangerous, began in the area surrounding Delano, California authorities believe he is no longer in the area.

The status and location of the search for Hernandez remain unclear.

If spotted, the public is urged to immediately call 911 or contact Kern Valley State Prison officials at 661-721-6314.

Despite the high-profile nature of this recent escape, CDCR says 99% of all its inmate runaways have been apprehended since 1979.