News Source: Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller
Florence, AZ — Pinal County Attorney, Brad Miller, announced today that a Grand Jury has indicted Ismael Ortega Hernandez (DOB: 08/09/1990) on one count of First-Degree Murder in the November 2022 alleged shooting death of his girlfriend. Ortega Hernandez is currently being held on a $1 million cash bond.
Ortega Hernandez allegedly shot his girlfriend twice, killing her in front of her two young children and her minor sister, ages ranging from 4 to 12 years old. After the murder, Ortega Hernandez allegedly fled the scene. Evidence also revealed that Ortega Hernandez had been charged with prior acts of domestic violence against the victim. The Pinal County Attorney’s Office filed a direct complaint and obtained a warrant for his arrest.
Earlier this month, Ortega Hernandez was arrested in Colorado for Driving Under the Influence under a false name. His true identity was confirmed when fingerprints matched his record. He was being held in Colorado when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intervened due to a final order of removal. Through coordination with ICE, Ortega Hernandez was transferred from a Colorado detention center to the ICE detention facility in Florence, Arizona, at which time Pinal County Sheriff’s detectives took him into custody to prevent deportation.
“I want to commend the outstanding work of the Pinal County Attorney’s Office, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, and our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly to ensure this defendant was located, arrested, and brought back to Arizona. This was an extremely complex case involving multiple agencies across state lines and coordination with federal authorities. Thanks to their persistence and dedication, we are one step closer to achieving justice for the victim, her children, and our community,”
— Brad Miller, Pinal County Attorney
The arraignment is scheduled for September 8, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. in the Pinal County Superior Court.
“A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.”
