Homicide detectives this morning charged Jahir Hernandez, 19, with Friday night’s murder of Javier Palafox-Garcia, 30, whose body was found in the street in the 700 block of Patricia Drive just after 9 p.m.
The investigation shows that Hernandez met Palafox-Garcia Friday night for the purpose of killing him in what Hernandez described as retaliation for Palafox-Garcia allegedly sexually assaulting him four years ago (unreported to law enforcement).
Hernandez said he arranged to meet Palafox-Garcia at an apartment complex on Thompson Place near Murfreesboro Pike. He said just after Palafox-Garcia got into the front passenger seat of his car, he shot him multiple times and drove to Patricia Drive where he stopped and pulled the body from the car onto the street. Hernandez said he then drove over the body at a high rate of speed.
Later in the night, at 11:30 p.m., Hernandez arrived at the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office on S. 5th Street and told a deputy there that he had killed someone and wanted to surrender. Police were notified and Hernandez was transported to MNPD headquarters where he was interviewed by detectives. He is now jailed in lieu of $350,000 bond on a criminal homicide charge.