OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – The wife of one of the fake DTE Energy workers linked to the murder of a Rochester Hills businessman, who was also charged after dozens of her text messages were read in court, pleaded no contest.
Amanda Ileana Hernandez, 34, from Lincoln Park, was charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree home invasion, accessory after the fact and conspiracy to commit false impersonation of a utility worker.
She is the wife of Carlos Hernandez, who was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering Hussein Murray.
Joshua Zuazo was also sentenced to life in connection with the murder.
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According to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, Amanda Hernandez allegedly played an active role in the planning and cover-up of the crime.
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According to court records, Amanda Hernandez pleaded no contest on July 22. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 12.
Background
Carlos Hernandez and Zuazo were charged with felony murder and two counts of unlawful imprisonment. The two disguised themselves as DTE workers to gain entry to Murray’s home on Oct. 11, 2024.
Murray owned a jewelry store in Hamtramck. During the attack, his wife was present and tied up with duct tape while Murray was killed in the basement.
The woman managed to call 911 after freeing herself, and when Oakland County sheriff’s deputies arrived, she told them she believed her husband may have been kidnapped. While searching the home, deputies found Murray’s body in the basement.
Carlos Hernandez was arrested on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office said Hernandez was spotted traveling south on I-49 from Arkansas. Investigators pulled him over and took him into custody.
He was extradited from Louisiana and taken to the Oakland County Jail on Oct. 24, 2024.
After her husband was arrested, Amanda Hernandez reportedly told investigators the other suspect was Zuazo, who was then located by law enforcement in Plymouth Township and arrested on Oct. 14, 2024.
Carlos Hernandez and Zuazo were convicted of their charges and are now serving life in prison without the possibility of parole.