Do you know who murdered Gilberto Hernandez-Vazquez? Gilberto Hernandez-Vazquez, a 63-year-old Hispanic/Latino male, was working his neighborhood ice cream route in South Omaha on the evening of August 23, 2012, when violence found him. Around 8:22 p.m., near 19th and Y Street, he was shot while selling from his ice cream stand. First responders found him lying in the roadway, where Omaha Fire Department personnel began aid before he was rushed to the hospital.
He did not survive.
Neighbors knew him simply as the ice cream man the gentle vendor who pushed his cart past front porches and small yards, drawing children to the curb with the familiar bell. In the days after his killing, the community gathered to mourn and to help his family, raising funds and sharing stories that painted a picture of a soft-spoken fixture of the neighborhood whose daily rounds made him part of the rhythm of South Omaha.
The investigation opened as a homicide and remains active. Detectives have said there were multiple people in the area when the shots were fired. Years later, cold case investigators released new evidence, including images of a blue sedan believed to have been in the vicinity that night, hoping a clearer look at the vehicle or a long-held memory might loosen the case. Despite public appeals, reward offers, and repeated reminders from police, no one has been charged. There have been no arrests, and authorities continue to seek information that could identify the person or people responsible for Hernandez-Vazquez s death.
