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The beloved New Jersey kindergarten teacher who was found dead in a shallow grave Tuesday died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head and neck compressions, the coroner said.
Luz Hernandez, 33, a mother of three, was reported missing Monday after she reportedly reported herself at the charter school where she had taught since 2017. She was last seen Saturday.
Hernandez is separated from the father of her children, Junior Santana, who was seen at church with his children on Sunday.
The sister of the murdered teacher said abc new york that the couple separated in November but he remained living in the house, constantly making excuses as to why he couldn’t leave.
His sister also said the couple had a tumultuous relationship with Hernandez and frequently confided in family members that she felt he might be in physical danger.
Hernandez’s estranged husband, Junior Santana, was seen with the couple’s children at church on Sunday, a day after the teacher was last seen.
An anonymous cousin told NBC New York: “We love her, her family, our friends. She was an amazing girl and it’s so unfair for someone to take her life. Because?’
While her cousin told the station that when Santana was asked about Hernandez’s whereabouts, he said she “went out.”
In a GoFundMe Page that has been established for Hernandez’s children, a family member wrote that she was a victim of domestic violence.
As of this writing, neither the Jersey City Police Department nor the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office have announced any arrests or suspects in the case.
The educator was reported missing on Monday, prompting police to conduct a welfare check at her home in Jersey City. When officers noticed spattered blood, a search warrant was requested and issued.
Hours later, Hernandez’s body was found in an industrial section of Kearny, surrounded by trucking companies, three miles from his home. Police have not said what led them from his home to the area around Central Avenue in the city.
She had been a teacher at BelovED Charter School in Jersey City since 2017. Hernandez joined the school after graduating from Saint Peter’s University in New Brunswick.
Her death is the second murder of a Jersey City teacher in a matter of weeks. Temara King, a PS-5 teacher, was fatally shot by her husband in a domestic violence case in January, police said. She was 35 years old.
Hernández’s cook, Yajaira Germosen, said in a tearful interview that “she was nice. She was a beautiful person. I’m going to miss her so much that I can’t speak. She is amazing ‘
Hernandez’s body was found in an industrial section of Kearny, surrounded by trucking companies, an area three miles from his home.
Hernandez’s cousin, Yajaira Germosen, told reporters on Thursday: ‘She was nice. She was a beautiful person. I’m going to miss her so much that I can’t talk about her. She is amazing. ‘
Another anonymous cousin said nbc New York, We love her, her family, friends. She was an amazing girl and it’s so unfair for someone to take the life of her. Because?
‘She was one of the best teachers, everyone loves her, all the kids. It’s like, so hard to think about. We just want justice,’ they continued.
His brother Christiano Hernández told him CBS New York, She loved children. She became a teacher because she loved being around children.
While a friend wrote in a heartbreaking Facebook post: “I will never forget our conversations, I will never forget our laughs.” You will always be in my heart. Rest in the beautiful paradise. I love you Luz Hernandez, a wound that will never heal.’
Following the news of his death, classes at the school where he taught were cancelled.
Hernandez was last seen on February 4, but was not reported missing until Monday, February 6 when she failed to report to work at BelovED Community Charter School in Jersey City.
Hernández was the mother of three children, two of whom are students at her school.
As of this writing, neither the Jersey City Police Department nor the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office have announced any arrests or suspects in the case.
A memorial to the murdered teacher is set up outside her home
BeloveED founder Bret Schundler said nj.com, ‘People loved her. She was a wonderful coworker. She was a beloved member of the BeloveD family. People are devastated by this.’
Hernandez had been teaching at the school since graduating from Saint Peter’s University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 2017. Two of her children are students at the school.
Schundler added: “There will be a desire to commemorate her and there will be a desire to support her family.”
According to Hernandez’s fundraising page, she was originally from the Dominican Republic and moved to the United States at the age of five. Her page has raised nearly $7,000.
In a separate interview, Schundler said abc new york that Hernández was known as a teacher who developed close relationships with her students and staff and that her death had “completely destroyed” the community.
The Jersey City Times reports that news of Hernandez’s murder came hours after Schundler made a presentation to the Jersey City Planning Board about the possible expansion of his school.
His death is being investigated as a homicide. The regional medical examiner’s office has not released Hernandez’s cause of death. As of this writing, no arrests have been made, according to Hudson County Attorney Esther Suarez.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hudson County District Attorney’s Office at 201-915-1345 or leave an anonymous tip on the office’s website.