By: Richard L. Smith
A fugitive wanted in connection with the 2023 death of Luz Hernandez, whose body was found in a shallow grave, has been extradited to the U.S. and taken into custody, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced.
Leiner Miranda Lopez, 28, of Jersey City, was arrested on September 11, at Newark Liberty International Airport after being extradited from Bogota, Colombia.
Lopez, previously charged with murder, tampering with evidence, and desecrating human remains, is now being held at the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
Lopez and his co-defendant, Cesar Santana, 38, were indicted by a Grand Jury in May 2023.
The charges stem from the discovery of 33-year-old Luz Hernandez’s body in a shallow grave in Kearny on February 7, 2023.
The Regional Medical Examiner's Office determined that Hernandez died from blunt force trauma to the head and neck compression, and her death was ruled a homicide in what authorities believe was a case of domestic violence.
Prosecutor Suarez credited U.S. Marshals, Colombian authorities, and various federal agencies for their cooperation in arresting and extraditing Lopez.
The investigation remains ongoing.