Funeral services and the procession route for fallen Las Cruces Police Department Officer Jonah Hernandez are set for Wednesday in El Paso, Texas.
Source: City of Las Cruces
The funeral mass will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, at Abundant Church, 1000 Valley Crest Drive, in El Paso, Texas. Following the church service, police will lead the procession to Hernandez’s final resting place at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cemetery, 401 S. Zaragoza Road, in El Paso, Texas.
Hernandez died in the line of duty Feb. 11 in Las Cruces.
The police-led procession from Martin Funeral Home, 1460 George Dieter Dr., will begin about 9 a.m. Wednesday. News media wishing to capture images of the beginning of the procession can stage along the sidewalk on the southwest corner of the property, near the corner of George Dieter and Jennifer Drive. Media is asked to park along the eastbound curb of Jennifer Drive.
The procession will arrive at Abundant Church, 1000 Valley Crest Drive, before 10 a.m. Funeral service attendees are encouraged to enter from Castner Drive as access from Escobar will be limited. A staging area has been established for news media on the west side of the church and just south of the main entrance. No video or audio recording will be allowed inside the church.
Video of the funeral mass can be found on the City of Las Cruces’ YouTube channel @lascrucesgov.
Mourners who wish to attend the funeral mass are welcome, but should be aware that family of Jonah Hernandez, law enforcement personnel and dignitaries will be seated first.
Following the services at Abundant, LCPD and El Paso Police motor units will lead the procession from the church to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cemetery, 401 S. Zaragoza Road, in El Paso. Hernandez will be laid to rest in the St. Jude section of the cemetery.
Along the route, news media can stage in a dirt lot near the El Paso Police Department station at 9011 Escobar Drive.
El Paso mourners who wish to view the procession from the sidewalk can do so along Escobar Drive from Zaragoza to Burgundy Drive, along Burgundy Drive from Escobar to North Loop Drive, or along Zaragoza from Americas Avenue to the Mt. Carmel Cemetery.
Entrance to the St. Jude section of Mount Carmel is from the middle driveway on the west side of the cemetery along Zaragoza Road. A staging area for news media has been established near where the hearse will park along the eastern-most roadway within the cemetery. News media are asked to enter the middle driveway, pass the St. Jude section and make a U-turn parking along the curb near the St. Jude sign.
Mourners in the procession are asked to enter the south or middle driveway and park along the curbs in the southern-most, undeveloped sections of the cemetery. It’s anticipated the procession will take 15-20 minutes to arrive at the cemetery.
On Wednesday, during the ceremonies, news media can direct questions to any available PIO who is with Las Cruces Police or the El Paso Police. Family of Jonah Hernandez and LCPD officials will not be available for comment on Wednesday.
The Las Cruces Police Department and El Paso Police Department request all attendees display the upmost respect for family and friends of Officer Jonah Hernandez during this very difficult time.
