A 42-year-old man with a lengthy history of violating restraining orders with his estranged wife was charged Tuesday with kidnapping and attacking her,.
Charles Lorenzo Hernandez was charged with a count of kidnapping, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, a count of criminal threats and a count of vandalism, all felonies, as well as misdemeanor counts of violating a protective stay-away order, battery and damage to a wireless device to prevent usage to call law enforcement, according to court records.
Hernandez pleaded not guilty in the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach and was next due in court May 22 for a pretrial hearing in the North Justice Center in Fullerton.
He has two previous misdemeanor cases of violating a restraining order pending.
Hernandez’s estranged spouse called 911 just before 4:10 a.m. Sunday to report the defendant was attacking her and a companion at South Acacia Avenue and Dawns Way in Fullerton, police said.
While she was on the line with the dispatcher, a struggle could be heard before the phone went silent and the dispatcher then heard a vehicle fleeing and sirens from responding officers, police said.
Police caught up with the woman’s companion, who said Hernandez attacked him before dragging his estranged wife into his vehicle and fleeing, police said.
The man told police he and the victim were in his vehicle in Anaheim when Hernandez walked up and battered the vehicle with his hands, police said. The woman implored her friend to head to the Fullerton police headquarters, police said.
While en route to police, Hernandez rammed their vehicle with his car before the victims ended up lost in a cul de sac, police said.
Hernandez rammed their car again and got out and vandalized the other man’s vehicle, police said. Hernandez was accused of demanding the man’s wallet and threatened to get a gun to kill him, police said.
The man grabbed a hammer to defend himself while Hernandez swung a metal sign at the man before turning to his estranged wife, police said.
About an hour later, police found Hernandez’s vehicle on the shoulder of the Orange (57) Freeway near Ball Road in Anaheim, where he dashed across the highway to get away, police said. Police had to close the freeway and set up a perimeter before finding eventually finding him in Newport Beach, police said.
In 2022, the woman filed a petition for a restraining order alleging consistent abuse since they got together in 2007. She said in 2014 he was arrested for attacking her when she was pregnant with their daughter for taking too long in a shower.
She said in the restraining order petition that he was “constantly accusing me of being unfaithful.” She also said he “threatens me because of my immigration status, stating that if I was to report (or) leave him I would never get custody of my kids.”