Police stated last week that the older brother of late football star and convicted killer Aaron Hernandez was arrested for allegedly organizing shootings on two New England college campuses.
Dennis John “D.J.” Hernandez, 37, was arrested for the fourth time this year on Wednesday after police received allegations that he was preparing attacks at Brown University and the University of Connecticut, according to the arrest warrant obtained by WFSB.
One witness, thought to be Hernandez’s ex-girlfriend, told police that he took her car on July 7 to attend a court appearance, but instead drove to the UConn and Brown campuses to “‘map the schools out,'” according to the statement.
“[Hernandez] said that ‘he has a bullet for everyone,’” the witness claimed, adding that she believed Hernandez was “extremely sick.”
About two weeks later, on July 19, Hernandez allegedly made a series of threatening posts on social media.
In another disturbing online rant, Hernandez specifically mentioned UConn, where he previously played college football.
“UConn program is going to pay unless I have a package deal and I get my estate and every single thing I have worked for,” he wrote, according to WFSB.
“I’m prepared to give my life so if I don’t get to see you on the outside know I love you always. Not all shootings are bad I’m realizing. Some are necessary for change to happen.”
Officers arrested Hernandez at his home later that day, the arrest warrant said.
According to the Bristol Police Department, Hernandez was charged with second-degree breach of peace and making bodily threats.
Because Hernandez has a history of evading police on foot, a heavy police presence was utilized to approach him at his home.
According to the police statement, two young children were also taken from the scene by their mother before the arrest.
Hernandez eventually exited the house and yelled many times for authorities to shoot him before being Tasered.
He was subsequently taken to the hospital, where he proceeded to shout and threaten others.
While in the hospital, Hernandez is accused of verbally threatening anyone who profited off his late brother, including ESPN.
Hernandez is presently being held by the Department of Correction on a $250,000 bond.
Hernandez was detained for the first time this year after leading police on a chase, according to WFSB.
He was apprehended a second time a few days later when he hurled a bag containing a brick and a handwritten letter at ESPN’s Bristol office.
He was detained for the third time earlier this month when he failed to appear in court for the ESPN incident.
Hernandez and his brother, Aaron, also played high school football in Bristol.
Aaron was committed to play at UConn like his brother, but transferred to the University of Florida, where he was coached by Urban Meyer before joining the New England Patriots in 2010.
Aaron’s promising career came crashing down in 2013 when he was arrested and ultimately convicted of the murder of semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd.Hernandez committed suicide in his jail cell on April 19, 2017, while facing a life sentence without the possibility of release and suspicions of involvement in other murders.
According to CNN, D.J. Hernandez claimed in his 2018 book, “The Truth About Aaron: My Journey to Understand My Brother,” that both he and Aaron were physically mistreated as children by their father.
