In the early morning hours of February 18, 2017, a discovery was made on a Hartford, Connecticut street that would mark the city's sixth homicide of the year. A Black/African American male, 27-year-old Chace Hernandez, was found unresponsive behind the wheel of his black Audi A4 at the intersection of Winchester and Auburn Streets. He had been shot multiple times.
Responding officers had initially been called to the scene for a "possible medical emergency" after a caller reported seeing a man passed out in his car. Upon their arrival, the grim reality of the situation became clear. Hernandez was rushed to St. Francis Hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the death of Chace Hernandez, a graduate of Windsor High School and a father of two, was swiftly undertaken by Major Crime detectives. Investigators interviewed several witnesses and family members, piecing together the events that led to the shooting. Their efforts culminated in an arrest warrant being issued for Anthony Austin, a 26-year-old from the neighboring town of Windsor. On April 20, 2017, police located Austin hiding in an apartment on Burnside Avenue in East Hartford and took him into custody without incident.
Anthony Austin was charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery, and criminal possession of a firearm. His bond was set at one million dollars. The case against Austin revealed that the motive behind the fatal shooting was a marijuana robbery. In May of 2019, Austin entered into a plea agreement. He was convicted of aiding or encouraging the commission of a first-degree manslaughter with a firearm. For his role in the death of Chace Hernandez, Anthony Austin was sentenced to 12 years in prison, to be followed by 18 years of strict special parole.
