Court records say the case began with a red-light collision before dawn.
FRESNO, Calif. — Authorities charged 22-year-old Timothy Seth Chavez after police said he ran a red light before dawn April 6, hit Martha Hernandez’s vehicle on McKinley Avenue near Highway 41 and sent it into the Dry Creek Canal, killing Hernandez and her 9-year-old son, Adrian.
The deaths have shaken Fresno and nearby Clovis, where Hernandez worked as a nail artist and Adrian attended elementary school. The case also moved quickly from an overnight rescue and canal search into a felony filing in Fresno County Superior Court. Prosecutors accused Timothy Seth Chavez of gross vehicular manslaughter and leaving the scene of a deadly crash, while police kept investigating witness reports, video from the area and whether any other charges could follow.
Police and fire crews were called at 1:57 a.m. Monday to a two-vehicle crash on McKinley Avenue at Fresno Street, near Highway 41. Officers found one heavily damaged vehicle still on the road and another in the canal with Hernandez inside, according to police and local television reports. Firefighters pulled her from the water, tried life-saving measures and took her to a hospital, where she died. For a time, responders did not know her son had been in the car. Fresno Fire Chief Billy Alcorn said crews later returned to the scene, pulled the vehicle from the canal and “started a search of the entire canal system.” The search lasted for hours and included a drone. Officers first treated the discovery of the child as a separate incident until investigators linked both scenes to the same crash. Adrian Hernandez was eventually found near H Street and Arroyo Street, miles downstream from the crash scene. By then, what began as a predawn traffic collision had become a double-fatal investigation stretching along the canal and across several parts of the city.
The formal complaint filed Wednesday says Chavez unlawfully killed Hernandez and a second victim listed as John Doe through gross negligence while committing another unlawful act: running a red light. It also alleges he used a vehicle as a deadly weapon and then left the scene without giving identifying information or rendering aid. The document, filed Wednesday afternoon in Fresno County Superior Court, lists case number 26F00189 and cites the Fresno Police Department as the investigating agency. Later reports and family statements identified the child as Adrian Hernandez. Investigators said Chavez drove a Honda Pilot that struck the SUV Hernandez was driving, pushing it into the canal. Police Chief Mindy Casto said witnesses reported that the driver who ran from the scene appeared intoxicated, and a nearby business owner told ABC30 that a carwash camera recorded the collision. Still, the court complaint filed Wednesday did not include a DUI count, and officials had not publicly released toxicology findings or said whether they recovered enough evidence to prove impairment. That leaves a central question unresolved as the criminal case moves ahead: what investigators can show about Chavez’s condition in the minutes before and after the crash.
Outside court, the case has been measured in small details of a disrupted family life. Relatives said Hernandez and Adrian were driving home from an Easter celebration when the crash happened. At a vigil Tuesday night at Chosen Salon in Old Town Clovis, coworkers and clients remembered Hernandez, known to many as Patty, as a warm presence who talked easily with customers and cared deeply for her two sons. Adrian’s teachers at Tarpey Elementary described him as bright and kind. One teacher said his favorite school project imagined a future in which he could stay close to his mother. Clovis Unified said it would provide extra emotional support at the school. A GoFundMe created by Hernandez’s niece, Lilliana Perez, said the family’s older son is preparing for high school graduation while also facing funeral costs and plans to take his mother and brother to Mexico for burial near relatives. At the vigil, that older son, Michael, stood with his aunt and grandparents as mourners gathered around him. Those details have turned the case from a traffic death investigation into a story of loss felt in classrooms, churches, salons and family homes across the area.
Police said Chavez turned himself in at the Fresno County Jail about 9 p.m. Monday, hours after investigators said he fled the crash on foot. Officers went to the jail, detained him, interviewed him and later booked him after medical clearance at Community Regional Medical Center, according to Fresno police and FOX26. Police said the booking included two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter, two counts of felony hit-and-run, driving on a suspended license and driving without insurance. The felony complaint made public Wednesday set out four counts tied to the two deaths and the alleged failure to stop and help. ABC30 reported that prosecutors had until Thursday to formally file charges, but the complaint was filed Wednesday afternoon and Chavez appeared in Fresno Superior Court that day. As of the latest reports, it was not clear whether he had entered a plea or hired a lawyer to speak for him. Legal analyst Tony Capozzi said the investigation could continue even after initial charges, and prosecutors could add counts if new evidence supports them. That means the next phase is likely to center on court filings, any future hearing dates and whether police convert witness accounts and video into a fuller case record.
At the crash site and at the salon where Hernandez worked, people have built memorials with flowers, candles and handwritten tributes. At her nail station, flowers replaced the tools and supplies where she had worked just days earlier. ABC30 reported that a child handed a blue teddy bear to Hernandez’s older son during the vigil, and family members stood with him as mourners prayed for justice. Hernandez’s sister said she had been dedicated to God, her family and the people around her. Community support also moved into practical help. Taqueria El Premio Mayor scheduled a Monday fundraiser at 3110 E. McKinley Ave. and said it would give 100% of the proceeds to the family. Jesus Orozco, an employee, said the restaurant usually closes on Mondays but chose to open because “we’re part of the community” and wanted to help. The owners said the loss was impossible to fully describe. In Fresno, where canal banks, traffic lanes and neighborhood businesses can sit only blocks apart, the story has stayed visible in both places: where the crash happened and where the victims were known.
Chavez remained in custody in the reports reviewed Monday, while Fresno police continued to examine witness accounts and area video from the crash near Highway 41. The next public milestone is expected to come through additional court action and any further announcement on whether prosecutors expand the case.
Author note: Last updated April 13, 2026.