RENTON, Wash. — Last year, Renton hair stylist Reyna Hernandez was kidnapped and killed. Her body was later found in Mexico.
Police believe her estranged partner, 61-year-old Louie Hernandez, was involved with her murder.
Friends and neighboring businesses noticed her Renton hair salon had remained closed for several days in late February 2024 and reported her missing. Friends reported speaking to her on Feb. 26, 2024 and she told them she was going to run errands. She never returned and all communication abruptly stopped.
During that time, Renton Police gathered evidence that she was taken against her will and was hopefully alive.
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Unfortunately, Reyna’s body was found in early March at a cemetery in Mexicali on the Tijuana Highway in Mexico. Court documents from 2024 confirmed Reyna’s body had signs of torture, and that she was shot in the head.
Louie was arrested in Mexico last March on unrelated charges but was considered a suspect in Reyna’s murder.
He has since been arrested and charged with her murder, but it took a year to date for him to be extradited and booked into King County Jail.
Jail records indicate he was booked on March 7 for first-degree premeditated murder. Bail has been set at $5 million.
His arraignment is scheduled for March 18.
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