Jeremiah Leo Hernandez sentenced to life in prison for aggravated mayhem and assault with a knife for severely slashing man’s face in Pismo Beach

Author: District Attorney
Date: 8/23/2022 3:31 PM

District Attorney Dan Dow announced today that Jeremiah Leo Hernandez (44) of Grover Beach was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Hernandez was convicted by a jury in July for the January 24, 2022 knife attack.

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Grover Beach resident Jeremiah Leo Hernandez (DOB 07/28/1978) has been sentenced to life with the possibility of parole in state prison for his conviction of aggravated mayhem and assault with a knife involving a single victim, the Honorable Judge Timothy S. Covello presiding. 

A San Luis Obispo County jury convicted Hernandez on July 1, 2022.  The jury also found true an allegation that the defendant personally inflicted great bodily injury on the victim during the knife assault.  Additionally, jurors made findings that nine factors in aggravation were true that are considered for sentencing purposes.  The findings included: the attack was violent and indicates a serious danger to society; Hernandez’s prior convictions are numerous and of increasing seriousness; that the defendant has served a prior prison term; and that he was lying in wait when he attacked his victim. 

During the trial, jurors heard evidence that shortly after 1 a.m. on January 24, 2022, Hernandez attacked the victim with a knife, severely slicing his face from his hairline to his lower jaw, inflicting an injury that required extensive reconstructive surgery to repair.  The assault occurred in the 200 block of Five Cities Drive in Pismo Beach. 

Hernandez has been sentenced to a ‘life sentence’ with possibility of parole, otherwise known as an ‘indeterminate’ sentence.  After a minimum period of prison custody, the Board of Parole Hearings will conduct a hearing to determine if Hernandez should be released from prison custody.  For more information about the Lifer Parole Process, visit the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation website here.  Due to the recent changes in California law, it is impossible to estimate what amount of custody time Hernandez will actually serve in prison.

The case was investigated by the Pismo Beach Police Department with the aid of the District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation.  Pismo Beach Detective Sergeant Anthony Hernandez and District Attorney’s Office Senior Investigator Michael Hoier were the primary investigators.  The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Lindsey Bittner.

A copy of the charging document can be found here.  A copy of the defendant’s booking photo can be found here.

Please contact Assistant District Attorney Eric J. Dobroth at 805.781.5819 with any questions.

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