Fri Oct 18 10:50:00 UTC 2024: ## Michigan Man Charged with Felony Murder After Posing as Utility Worker, Killing Man
**Rochester Hills, MI** – Carlos Jose Hernandez, 37, of Dearborn, Michigan, has been charged with felony murder and unlawful imprisonment after allegedly impersonating a utility worker and killing a 72-year-old man in his home. The incident occurred on Friday in Rochester Hills, Michigan.
According to authorities, Hernandez and another unidentified suspect arrived at the victim’s home twice, posing as DTE Energy workers investigating a gas leak. On the first visit, the couple refused entry. However, on Friday, the victim allowed Hernandez into the basement after he presented a purported DTE document.
Once upstairs, the suspects demanded money and jewelry from the victim’s wife, duct-taped her wrists and ankles, struck her in the face, and stole her phone and watch before fleeing in a truck with a DTE sign. The victim’s wife managed to call 911 and alerted officials to her husband’s potential kidnapping.
Upon arriving at the home, authorities found the victim’s body in the basement with his wrists and ankles also duct-taped. His death was ruled a homicide by the Oakland County Medical Examiner. The victim’s wife was hospitalized after the attack but has since been released.
Hernandez was arrested in Louisiana on Saturday after being pulled over by authorities. He was booked on multiple armed robbery warrants from Ohio and a homicide warrant from Michigan.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office is actively searching for the second suspect and has released a doorbell camera video showing one of the suspects wearing a respirator mask and identifying himself as a DTE worker. The sheriff’s office is urging the public to come forward with any information.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald stated, “This was a gruesome attack on an elderly couple in their home. My office will work diligently to ensure that this individual is held accountable and that the public is safe from violent predators.”
DTE Energy has issued a statement expressing condolences to the victims and assuring the public that they make every effort to contact residents before conducting routine home visits.
Hernandez is currently being held at the Caddo Correctional Center in Louisiana, and authorities are seeking his extradition back to Michigan.
First Piper 