Family buries boy, 13, killed by S.A. police
SAN ANTONIO — The family of Andre “AJ” Joseph Hernandez Jr., a 13-year-old killed in a police shooting at the beginning of the month, said a final goodbye Friday.
Lynda Espinoza, the boy’s mother, was joined in the chapel of San Antonio Mortuary by a small group of family and a large presence of friends, mostly youth, as well as local Black rights activists.
They wore either black, white or blue T-shirts with a messages reading “Justice for AJ” or “I love you AJ.” Bouquets of blue and white flowers were set up around Andre’s casket as relatives took turns paying their respects.
Stephanie Martinez, his aunt, shared parts of the funeral via Zoom to her four youngest nieces, all of whom remain in the custody of the Department of Family and Protective Services. They were allowed an hour to say farewell to Andre during visitation the night before. The children were taken from their mother’s custody June 7, a few days after Andre was killed.
Pastor Robert Flores, of Mercy Church, led the mourners in prayer.
The theme was Jesus Christ’s death at the cross. It was Flores’ second time in recent weeks helping the family memorialize a loved one.
One of Andre’s older sisters, Nevaeh Martinez, 16, was killed May 10 in the 5100 block of War Horse Drive. A suspect in the case has yet to be named as of Friday.
On June 3, police had driven up on either side of Andre as he was driving a stolen red Toyota Corolla in the 5100 block of War Cloud Drive. Police have said Andre drove into the driver’sside door of a police Chevrolet Tahoe as an officer was attempting to step out, putting his life in danger.
But family members and an attorney have disputed the speed at which Andre drove into the door, saying he was not a threat to the officer. He was wounded fatally from single shot fired by officer Stephen Ramos after the car hit the door.
In his sermon, Flores compared the family’s turmoil to being on a roller coaster in the dark. Life’s twists, turns and drops all concealed from the rider.
“I know this is a horrible twist,” he said, “but God will still give you your daily bread.”
At the podium, Espinoza said her son loved to laugh, play jokes and had a wonderful sense of humor.
A memory in his aunt’s heart is how Andre loved Easter, when he would place flour or sugar in a cascarón instead of the usual confetti as a prank.
“My son was not the criminal they have tried to make him out to be,” his mother said. “We will not forget his life. We will continue to honor his memory and fight for justice for his senseless murder.”
Activist Pharaoh Clark also addressed the audience, saying that he and the others present, including Ananda Tomas with ACT 4 SA, and Lloyd Kuykendoll of Texas Organizing Project, would continue fighting for police transparency.
“You are not alone in this fight,” he said, lamenting the loss of Andre at a young age.
Deborah Jones Bush — aunt of Marquise Jones, who was killed by police in 2014 — was present and moved to tears.
“This is the aftermath, and this is something the family has to deal with for the rest of their lives,” she said. “I’m hurt, and I’m angry. We’ve got to come to the table and figure out what we need to do to stop this.”
After the speeches, Andre’s mother leaned over him. She pressed her lips on his forehead one last time, quivering and crying.
“I love you, AJ,” she cried. His brothers and other relatives huddled shoulder to shoulder as they also said a final goodbye.
The procession drove past the spot where Andre was wounded fatally, stopping for a moment.
At First Memorial Park Cemetery, they buried Andre under a large red oak tree, on the same plot as his sister. Four doves were released, one signifying Andre’s soul, and the other three representing the Holy Trinity guiding his spirit to heaven.
The family was able to cover costs for the funeral via GoFundMe and other fundraisers. They still hope to reach a goal of $20,000 to help Espinoza leave the neighborhood. The paths from her home bear the reminder of a slain child.
“It just hurts that he was only 13 years old and his life was cut short by an officer who chose to kill him instead of use a different type of method to detain him,” his aunt said. “It’s a very hard day for us.”