Jander Hernandez

Name:
Hernandez, Jander

Date of Booking:
09/09/2025

Reason(s) For Booking:
Driving without a Valid License

Improper Lane Change/Failure to Maintain Lane

Striking Fixed Object

Hit and Run; Duty of Driver to Stop or Return to Scene of Accident

Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]

[NARRATIVE #1 On September 08, 2025]

On 9/8/2025 I responded Code 1 non-emergency to the Dollar General at 648 Rockwell Church Rd NW in reference to a Hit and Run that occurred near the intersection of Miles Patrick Rd.

Upon arrival I met with a [VICTIM #1] subject. Mr. [VICTIM #1] stated he was traveling eastbound on Rockwell Church Rd NW towards the intersection of Miles Patrick Rd. He stated while doing so he noticed a vehicle behind him, that he felt like was following him. He stated the next thing he knew was that vehicle was attempting to improperly pass him in a no-passing zone. He stated while that vehicle was passing him, it side swiped his driver’s side with its passenger side. He stated the vehicle then sped away at 70+ mph.

Mr. [VICTIM #1] stated he attempted to catch up to the vehicle to try and get at least a license plate number for the vehicle but was unable to. Mr. [VICTIM #1] identified the vehicle as a silver four door Nissan or Honda, possibly a mid-2000’s model vehicle. Mr. [VICTIM #1] also commented that he was extremely heated/upset, so it could have been a different make/model of vehicle, but he certainly remembers an older, silver vehicle. Mr. [VICTIM #1]’s vehicle sustained functional mirror/door/front bumper damage. Pictures will be attached of his vehicle’s damage.

A few minutes after getting on scene, Sergeant Johnson left to travel eastbound on Rockwell Church Rd NW to attempt to locate any roadway debris or evidence of the hit and run. While doing so, he located a Silver 2009 Toyota Yaris bearing Mississippi license plate [REDACTED]. That vehicle lost control approaching the Rockwell Church Rd NW/Laurel Ln intersection, striking a street sign and coming to a rest within the tree line off the roadway. (Further on that hit and run under case number 2025-00057032.)

Based on the direction of travel being the same, limited traffic at the time of night (~2330 hours) having light traffic along Rockwell Church Rd, and the description of the vehicle closely matching, this vehicle is being listed as the suspect vehicle for this Hit and Run. There was passenger side front fender/bumper damage consistent with the height of the damage on Mr. [VICTIM #1]’s vehicle, however it did not appear that any paint transfer was present after the vehicle had been removed from the tree line and been in a separate accident all together.

No driver was present on scene for the accident, nor were any identifying documents located within the vehicle. A picture of the suspect vehicle after it was removed from the tree line will also be attached.

[End of Narrative]

[NARRATIVE #2 On September 09, 2025]

On 09/09/2025 at approximately 1503 hours, I responded “Code 1” to a meet in person call located at 748 Hancock Bridge Road in Winder, Georgia at Brown’s wrecker service. While en route to the call, I was informed early hours this date at approximately 0001 hours, two separate hit and run calls took place in the area of Rockwell Church NW and Miles Patrick Road (Reference original report 2025-00057027) and Rockwell Church NW and Laurel Lane. (Reference original report 2025-00057032) During these incidents, the driver of the vehicle fled the scene after he crashed his vehicle into a wooded area on Rockwell Church NW.

Brown’s towing was called to the scene to impound the vehicle and took possession of a 2007 Gray/Silver Toyota Yaris with Mississippi license plate [REDACTED], which they secured at their lot located at 748 Hancock Bridge Road. Prior to leaving, Sergeant J. Johnson S69 advised the wrecker driver if anyone later contacted to retrieve the vehicle to recontact the sheriff’s office so an attempt to obtain the suspect driver’s information could be made.

Upon arriving on scene, I met with an employee of Brown’s wrecker service who stated he was contacted by a male requesting to retrieve the vehicle at the tow yard located at 748 Hancock Bridge Road. He stated the male initially requested him to drop the vehicle off. When asked about an address to take the vehicle, the male appeared hesitant to provide the employee with an address and advised he would come pick up the vehicle. The male contacted him and informed him he was approximately 40 minutes away, at which point Brown’s wrecker service contact the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office per their last instruction.

Shortly after, the employee received a phone call from a phone number of [REDACTED BY AGENCY], informing him the male was at the yard waiting. Note: Sergeant Shultz S66 and I stood down the road with the employee awaiting the suspect staying out of sight to not alarm him. A white Ram 3500 dually pickup with Georgia license plate [REDACTED] arrived at the tow yard, and I observed a male standing near the fence awaiting to retrieve his vehicle.

I approached the male, later identified as Jander Hernandez, and I identified myself. I asked him what happened, and he immediately went into telling me he crashed his car off the road into a wooded area after he lost control of the vehicle. Jander did not go into details of the accident because he was very nervous while talking to me. It appeared and was later confirmed by Jander that he was nervous and scared because of what he did.

Jander stated he left his house last night to go for a drive from [700 BLOCK] Moonlit Trace in Winder, Georgia. Jander stated while on his way back after going to the store, he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the woods. When I asked him if he knew he hit another vehicle, he appeared to be surprised, stated he knew he hit something and then stated he was unsure what he hit.

I asked Jander what he did after he crashed. He stated after the accident, he contacted a friend in Loganville, Georgia after he climbed out of the vehicle. He stated he walked back to his house at [700 BLOCK] Moonlit Trace, contacted a private tow truck to tow the vehicle and then returned to the vehicle. He stated when he returned to the vehicle, he observed that law enforcement had already took possession of the vehicle. It was obvious that there were a lot of inconsistencies in Jander’s statement and that he was being deceitful.

After advising Jander I knew he was lying, Jander stated he knowingly left the accident after crashing because he was scared. He stated he took off in the woods after the accident and returned to his home. Jander informed me he left because he did not have a valid Georgia driver’s license and only possessed a Mexico Identification card.

Based on his statement and establishing probable cause, I advised Jander he was under arrest for Hit and Run OCGA 40-6-270 and failure to maintain lane OCGA 40-6-48 in reference to the incident at Rockwell Church Road and Miles Patrick Road 2025-00057027, and Hit and Run duty upon striking a fixed object OCGA 40-6-272 2025-00057032 and No License OCGA 40-5-20 in reference to operating a motor vehicle during both incidents.

I placed Jander in handcuffs, (Checked for fit, Double Locked, and Searched incident to arrest) and transported him to the Barrow County Jail. He was released to the deputies/staff on duty without incident. Jander was issued citations 137856, 137857, 137858, and 137859 and served at the jail.

[End of Narrative]

[NARRATIVE #3 On September 09, 2025]

On September 9, 2025, at approximately 0001 hours, I assisted Deputy Matherly with a hit and run reference case number 2025-00057027. I observed a vehicle matching the description of his hit and run vehicle at the edge of the tree line on Rockwell Church Road, just west of Laurel Lane.

I exited my vehicle and approached a gray Toyota Yaris with Mississippi registration [REDACTED]. The Toyota Yaris driver’s side window was lying on the ground, and glass was all over the inside of the vehicle. There was no driver inside the vehicle or around the vehicle. There were small amounts of blood located inside the vehicle in different spots.

While on scene, I saw where the Toyota Yaris left the roadway and struck a street sign on the side of the road before it came to rest in the edge of the tree line. I asked another deputy shift to ride around the area and see if they could make contact with anyone walking. The other deputy did not make contact with anyone. I asked dispatch to send a wrecker to the scene to tow the vehicle. All Around Towing arrived on scene and took possession of the vehicle.

A vehicle impound was completed on the vehicle. Roads and Bridges were notified of the down road sign. The vehicle returned to [REDACTED]. There was no phone number or date of birth listed for [REDACTED] on the return for the vehicle.

[End of Narrative]