UPDATE On DeBary/Sanford/DeLand-Area Stalking Suspect Walter Hernandez

Date Added: February 08, 2019 12:09 pm

Andrew Gant
Office of Public Affairs & Media Relations

UPDATE ON DEBARY/SANFORD/DELAND-AREA STALKING SUSPECT WALTER HERNANDEZ

Volusia County sheriff’s detectives have continued to investigate a separate report of suspicious activity that might be connected to the case below. Today, they’re asking for a possible witness/victim to come forward, as she still hasn’t been identified.

On Jan. 11, around 3 p.m., deputies responded to the area of Wisteria Drive and West Highbanks Road in DeBary after a woman reported a man driving a small black Honda was following a girl who was riding her bike. The description of the suspect and circumstances were similar to those in another case involving Walter O. Hernandez, who was arrested later that night on charges of stalking a woman who was out jogging in DeBary.

The woman who reported the bike incident told deputies the girl told her the suspect kept telling her to get in his car and that her mother had sent him to pick her up. The girl said she’d never seen him before and knew he was lying. She was scared and left the scene.

Since then, deputies and detectives have been working to identify the girl, but they haven’t been able to find her. She was described as a white female with red hair, about 13 years old, and was riding a larger pink bike.

In addition to the charge of stalking the DeBary jogger, on Jan. 24, the DeLand Police Department charged Hernandez with aggravated stalking of a minor under the age of 16. That case stemmed from a juvenile victim reporting a Jan. 7 incident involving a stranger following her as she walked home from her bus stop.

At this point, Hernandez remains in custody without bond in the Volusia County Branch Jail on his VCSO charge of stalking, his DeLand PD charge of aggravated stalking of a minor, a Sanford PD charge of resisting arrest without violence and an Orange County warrant for violation of probation.

Hernandez has a criminal history that includes previous charges of kidnapping, stalking and indecent exposure, and was previously registered as a sex offender.

Anyone with information that may help identify the potential juvenile victim on the bike in the DeBary case is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 386-668-3830 or email Detective Cox at mcox@vcso.us.

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Jan. 11, 2019

Update: Walter Hernandez has been located in Sanford and arrested on his VCSO warrant during a traffic stop conducted by Sanford PD. Thanks all!

Jan. 11, 2019

 VCSO DETECTIVES SEEKING PUBLIC'S HELP IN LOCATING STALKING SUSPECT

Volusia County sheriff's detectives are seeking a Sanford man on a stalking charge following multiple reports of him approaching women and making sexually suggestive comments.

The suspect is Walter O. Hernandez, 62 (DOB 9/27/1956) of Boulder Court in Sanford. He is believed to be traveling in a 2007 Honda Fit with Florida tag GWY I96.

A recent Sanford Police Department Facebook post regarding a report of a similar incident in Sanford is available at: https://www.facebook.com/SanfordPolice/posts/2099017140159091

On Monday in DeBary, a suspect matching the same description as in the Sanford case drove up to a young woman on a run in DeBary, followed her and asked to perform a sex act on her.

Detectives are continuing to actively investigate all other reports of similar incidents as they seek Hernandez's whereabouts. Anyone with information is asked to call 911.