(Woodland, CA) – July 18, 2024 – Last week, a two-commission panel of the Board of Parole Hearings denied the parole of 54-year-old, Felipe Cruz Hernandez. Cruz Hernandez is serving a 15 year to life prison. This was the first hearing requesting parole. The denial was for five years.
On April 14, 2009, Winters Police officers performed a welfare check on Leticia Barrales Ramos at her residence as she had not gone to work for two days. Officers spoke to Cruz Hernandez, her husband, who said Barrales Ramos had gone to Mexico for a family emergency after midnight two days prior. This would be the first of several stories that Cruz Hernandez told officers to explain his missing wife. After receiving additional information from family members disputing there was a family emergency, Barrales Ramos was entered into the Missing/Unidentified Person System on April 21, 2009.
Friends and family of Ms. Barrales Ramos were concerned about her absence as they were certain that she would never have left without her young daughter. Officers also learned her wallet, Driver’s License, Mexican Consulate card and $1000 cash had been left behind. The investigation revealed that Cruz Hernandez sold the vehicle driven exclusively by Barrales Ramos and that Ms. Barrales Ramos was in the process of divorcing Cruz Hernandez.
On May 28, 2009, Winters Police Department, District Attorney Investigators, and the FBI’s Evidence Response Team served a search warrant at Cruz Hernandez’s residence locating several items of evidence leading investigators to believe Barrales Ramos was the victim of a homicide that took place in the residence.
On December 23, 2009, despite Barrales Ramos’ body never being found, a Yolo County jury convicted Cruz Hernandez of Second-Degree Murder and he was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison on January 22, 2010.
At the hearing before the Board of Parole, Cruz Hernandez admitted – for the first time – that he did in fact kill Barrales Ramos but did not express remorse for her killing. At the conclusion of the hearing, the panel determined that Cruz Hernandez continued to pose an unreasonable risk to public safety and was therefore unsuitable for parole.
Deputy District Attorney Robin Johnson represented the District Attorney’s Office at the lifer hearing. The victim’s daughter made a statement at the hearing opposing Cruz Hernandez’s release.
Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig was pleased that parole was denied. “It is clear that despite his admitting for the first time he committed this murder, his lack of remorse demonstrates that he remains a risk to public safety.”
Cruz Hernandez will be eligible for a new parole hearing in 2029, however, the law permits him to request an earlier hearing date if circumstances change that would increase his likelihood of release.
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