Xavier Ramon Hernandez-Hankins, a 29-year-old man, tragically died on November 5, 2022, in Dallas, Texas. He was shot in the head near the 4300 block of West Illinois Avenue in west Oak Cliff. Hernandez-Hankins had been at the Player's Bar with a woman that night. As he left and was walking north on Cockrell Hill Road, a witness saw a black Chevy Silverado pickup truck pull up to Hernandez-Hankins, and then heard one gunshot. Surveillance video showed the truck pulling up next to Hernandez-Hankins and then driving off about 1-2 minutes after.
Initially, Rubi Esparza, 33, and her husband, Basilio Tovar, 50, were wrongfully arrested and charged with Hernandez-Hankins' murder. They were accused because they owned a black Silverado pickup truck similar to the one seen at the scene. However, it was later determined that they were innocent and had no involvement in the crime. The couple spent several days in jail before being released and later filed a lawsuit against the detective responsible for their wrongful arrest.
Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of Bernadino Delgado Jr., 47, the owner of the Player's Bar, who was charged with the murder of Hernandez-Hankins. Delgado's pickup truck was identified as the one used in the shooting, and phone records placed him in the area at the time of the crime. Delgado had a history of charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful carrying of a handgun.
The case highlighted issues within the Dallas Police Department, including the wrongful arrest of innocent individuals and the challenges faced by an understaffed police force. Despite the wrongful arrests, the investigation eventually led to the identification and arrest of the true suspect, bringing some measure of justice for Hernandez-Hankins' family and friends.
