LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The Las Cruces community came together Friday night to honor one of their own.

“We have received thousands of phone calls, emails, and texts offering your condolences and offering your support. You have taken care of our officers and Jonah’s family by donating meals and money, hosting events to honor him, or just offering your sincere sympathies,” said LCPD Chief Jeremy Story. 

Jonah Hernandez was on a typical shift Sunday evening when he responded to a trespassing call near South Valley Drive.

Police say the trespassing suspect stabbed officer Hernandez. Paramedics arrived on scene and took him to a nearby hospital, where he died.

“Jonah was a kind and compassionate man. He genuinely cared about his fellow citizens and took every opportunity to demonstrate that love,” said Story. 

The Las Cruces chief of police was just one of many that spoke Friday night to honor him.

Two officers who also graduated with him in 2022 also shared what they will miss most about him.

“Me and Jonah went to the academy together. After the academy, we worked the same two shifts the past year and a half, and there was nothing I looked forward to more than seeing Jonah smile and hearing his laugh every single day that I worked,” said Shannon Sing. 

Hernandez leaves behind a wife and two sons. His funeral is expected to take place in El Paso, where both he and his wife are from.