A known gang member on a murderous rampage over the Thanksgiving weekend has been taken into custody after he allegedly shot and killed three people and injured another in two separate incidents.
Louis “Wicked” Peter Hernandez III, a known gang member, went into a two-story home in the 15500 block on Eastwind Avenue in northern Fontana around 5 a.m. on November 25, whereupon he shot and killed Romaldo De La Rosa, 54 of Colton, on the first floor. On the second floor he shot Angelina Urbano, 26, San Bernardino, before leaving the residence. Urbano was described as Hernandez’s girlfriend.
A 911 call summoning paramedics and Fontana police was made shortly thereafter. When officers with the Fontana Police Department arrived at around 5:30 a.m., they were met by two young, distraught and hysterical woman who came out of the house. Inside, the officers came across the deceased De La Rosa on the ground floor and the severely wounded Urbano upstairs. Urbano was transported to Kaiser Hospital, where she was placed into the intensive care unit.
The following morning, at 9:38 a.m. Sunday November 26, the California Highway Patrol received a report of a woman and a man in separate vehicles suffering from gunshot wounds at the Park and Ride lot near Etiwanda Avenue and Mission Boulevard off the 60 Freeway in Jurupa Valley. The woman, Dianna Couer, was found dead in a silver 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix. Couer has since been identified as Hernandez’s former girlfriend.
The other victim, a man in a 2003 Nissan Altima, was shot by Hernandez, apparently to silence him as a witness to the killing of Couer. Though injured, the man survived.
When a pickup stopped at a nearby red light, the still-armed Hernandez boarded it, remaining in the bed of the pickup.
According to the CHP, there was no verbal exchange between the driver, who did not know his unwelcome passenger, and Hernandez. Frightened, the driver continued toward Ontario. At Haven and Mission Avenue, Hernandez jumped out of the truck bed, and the driver called 911 to report what had occurred.
Shortly thereafter, Hernandez was arrested by the Ontario Police Department. He was in possession of the gun believed used in that day’s and the previous day’s shootings.
On Tuesday, November 28, Urbano died.
Hernandez, 41, goes by multiple aliases, including Carlos Ivan Herrera, Louis P. Hernandez III, Louis Pete Hernandez, Louis Peter Hernandez, Louis Peter Hernandez III, Louis Peter Hernandez Jr., Jacob Hernandez, Louie Hernandez and Louis Perez Hernandez.
Hernandez was on a post-prison release community supervision as of July 20 of this year. He had past parole violations on September 29, 2016, November 11, 2016, December 12, 2016, November 17, 2017, September 5, 2018 and October 16, 2019.
He was convicted on a charge of vehicle theft that occurred on December 10, 2016. He was convicted on a felony charge of evading a police officer and wanton disregard of public safety growing out of an incident that occurred on December 10, 2016.
He was convicted of being a felon in possession of a loaded firearm, stemming from an incident on September 10, 2003.
He was convicted of felony auto theft relating to an incident that occurred on December 27, 2019.
He was convicted of being a felon in possession of a loaded firearm, stemming from an incident on September 3, 2020.
He was convicted of misdemeanor petty theft and misdemeanor receiving stolen property based on an incident occurring June 22, 2005.
He was convicted of felony vehicle theft stemming from an incident on October 8, 2003.
He was convicted of felony vehicle theft stemming from an incident on July 28, 2001.
He was convicted of using a firearm in perpetrating an assault, a felony, in an encounter that occurred on June 30, 2006.
He was convicted of felony vehicle theft relating to an incident on May 24, 2017.
He was convicted of felony evading a police officer while driving against traffic growing out of an incident on February 27, 2021.
He was convicted of felony auto theft stemming from an incident that occurred on July 27, 2023.
He has now been charged with three counts of murder. He entered not guilty pleas to all three charges in an arraignment before Judge Joni I. Sinclair on November 29. He is scheduled to appear before Judge Brian Stodghill in Department R19 in Rancho Cucamonga for a pre-preliminary hearing on December 4 as well as a preliminary hearing on December 11.
He is being held without bail in West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.
–Mark Gutglueck