Father, son charged in double homicide

The 17-year-old son of a man who was charged with special circumstance murder last week for the fatal shootings of two men inside a truck that was then set on fire has now been arrested and charged with the same crimes as his father, police and prosecutors said.

Francisco Hernandez had been at large following the shooting and fire in the 9900 block of Empire Road at about 1:46 a.m. on Aug. 8 but he was arrested in the Central Valley last Thursday, Oakland police announced Wednesday, six days after the arrest.

Hernandez and his father, 37-year-old Francisco Jesus Hernandez Jr. of Oakland, are both charged with two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, arson and the special circumstances of committing multiple murders and committing murders during the course of arson.

Oakland police have refused to identify the two slain men, saying they are waiting for the Alameda County coroner to positively identify them, but the charging documents filed by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office name them as Juan Ramos and Alfonso Ibanez Jr.

Officer Hector Jimenez wrote in a probable cause statement that Francisco Jesus Hernandez shot into the victims’ truck, killing both men.

Jimenez said Hernandez then pulled out a third man, Miguel Cruz, who was in the victims’ truck and began to beat him.

Jimenez said the son, Francisco Hernandez, then shot Cruz and put him back in the victims’ truck.

Jimenez said the father and son and a third man he described as “an unknown male” then set the truck on fire.

Cruz was able to crawl out of the truck before police arrived.

Witnesses identified Francisco Jesus Hernandez as the man who shot Ramos and Ibanez, Jimenez said.

The third suspect, whose name hasn’t been disclosed, remains at large.

Francisco Jesus Hernandez, who works as a truck loader, is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 1 to enter a plea.

Francisco Hernandez, who was arraigned earlier this week, is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday to be assigned an attorney and possibly enter a plea.