WATSONVILLE—A Watsonville man who killed his wife and left her body in a vehicle in Santa Cruz—before fleeing to Mexico where he was arrested at the border—was sentenced Oct. 28 to at least 20 years in state prison.
Cesar Hernandez, 49, has been in Santa Cruz County Main Jail since October 2020, after Watsonville Police detectives arrested him at the border crossing at San Ysidro, where he was re-entering the U.S. It is still unclear why he re-entered the U.S. after leaving the country.
He pleaded no contest to murder charges on Sept. 7.
Police believe that Hernandez murdered Brenda Becerra at their Watsonville home on the 700 block of Rodriguez Street on Oct. 14, 2020, and then drove her in the family’s Ford SUV and abandoned her body and the vehicle on Mission Drive in Santa Cruz. She died from blunt force head injuries, and mechanical asphyxia, police said.
Becerra was first reported missing Oct. 15, about a half-hour after Hernandez dropped off the couple’s two young children with family members in Watsonville. Her body was found in the vehicle just before noon the same day.
Watsonville Police Capt. Anthony Magdayao said Border Patrol agents stopped Hernandez as he made his way through the checkpoint. WPD Detectives drove overnight to arrest him.
Becerra worked as a cleaner at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz. She had plans to attend college, earn a degree and enter the medical field. Her children are currently living with the Aceves family.
Beccera’s cousin Alma Aceves has described Hernandez as a “monster” who abused Beccera mentally and verbally.
Thank God he didn’t harm the children. Prayers and condolences to the family may they find solace in his sentence. He didn’t respect life so therefore his life should not be spared but we live in commiefornia so what can we do.
since you do not like it here, feel free to leave. no one will miss you. and there is much you can do, if you were not so willingly ignorant and simply say “what can I do?” there is plenty you can do. . but you like playing at helplessness. so leave.
Definitely not a helplessness attitude here. There’s a reason I’m bashing my state I was born and raised in and it’s because I am leaving so you leftist can burn it to the ground because that’s what you’ll do if it continues down this path. Newsflash it will because of people like you and all the flooding of illegal immigrants.
And guess what I’m not going to miss this 💩 state. I’ll have my 2A at my side in a beautiful red state. Not being helpless unlike you in a “gun free zone”.
excellent news. he won’t be missed. and yes, thank God he left the children alone.
That’s it? 20 years sentence for murder?? Santa Cruz county is too weak on crime… bring back the death penalty. Expedite it too…