Nearly one year after a man was stabbed to death on the West Side, the victim’s convicted murderer was sentenced Monday inside a Bexar County courtroom.
Nearly one year after a man was stabbed to death on the West Side, the victim’s convicted murderer was sentenced Monday inside a Bexar County courtroom.
According to a news release from the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, Austin Damian Diaz, 27, was sentenced to 35 years in prison. Before his sentencing, Diaz was convicted in the May 2024 murder of 24-year-old Frank Hernandez.
San Antonio police said Hernandez was stabbed in the chest just after 9 a.m. on May 6, 2024, at a West Side bus stop near the intersection of West Poplar Street and North Zarzamora Street. Hernandez was pronounced dead at the scene, officers said.
The district attorney’s office said evidence, including surveillance footage and video from a nearby witness, confirmed Diaz’s pursuit and deadly attack. Multiple videos depicted Diaz following Hernandez, according to the DA’s office.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office identified Hernandez as the victim on May 8, 2024.
On May 11, 2024, Bexar County jail records indicate law enforcement arrested Diaz and charged him in connection with Hernandez’s murder and a separate parole violation charge. He was officially booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center one day later. Records show Hernandez was held in jail without bond.
Court records show a jury convicted Diaz of murder on April 29. Monday’s sentencing by Judge Joel Perez in the 437th District Court marked nearly a full year — 364 days — since Hernandez was killed.
“This tragic incident, particularly involving a victim who had already endured significant hardships, highlights a profound failure of compassion and humanity,” Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales said in the news release. “Every life matters, and we are committed to combating violence, so that no life is deemed disposable.”
More coverage of this story on KSAT:
