On Saturday, October 18, 2025, at 11:36 pm, Turlock Police, Turlock Fire, and American Medical Response responded to an aggravated assault that had just occurred in the 4200 block of St George Pl.
The caller reported a man had been stabbed with a knife in a vehicle, while the suspect had fled the scene.
When units arrived on scene, they found Rolando Hernandez, 27, of San Jose, with major injuries to his face and upper body. Hernandez was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, where he remains in critical condition as of the latest update.
Through the investigation, the suspect was identified as Cesar Romero, 33, of Modesto. It was also determined that one of Romero’s ex-girlfriends was a passenger in the vehicle with Hernandez, and she was the protected party in a domestic violence restraining order against Romero.
A $750,000 felony Ramey warrant was written for Romero, which was signed off on by the Honorable Judge Mangar of the Stanislaus County Superior Court.
“Although [Romero] and [Hernandez] did not know one another personally, investigators determined the assault was domestic violence-related and not a random act of violence,” said Public Affairs Analyst Sanchez.
Following the initial response, detectives took over the investigation in an attempt to locate and arrest Romero. Crime and Community Information Analyst Grace played a major role in developing leads for detectives, leading to Romero’s possible whereabouts in Modesto.
On Monday, October 20, Romero was located by the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office in Modesto. Romero was arrested and transported to the Turlock Public Safety Facility for interrogation.
Afterward, Romero was booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on his warrant.
On Wednesday, October 22, Deputy District Attorney Palazuelos filed a criminal complaint in Stanislaus County Superior Court, charging Romero with attempted murder, aggravated mayhem, assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm, and stalking. The complaint also alleged several enhancements and priors.
Romero was arraigned later that same day before the Honorable Judge Dougherty, who appointed Deputy Public Defender Snipes to represent Romero, set a no-bail status, and issued a domestic violence criminal protective order pending trial, restraining Romero from Hernandez and his ex-girlfriend. Additionally, the order identified Romero’s ex-girlfriend as Hernandez’s new girlfriend.
Romero’s next court appearance is an early case management conference set on Tuesday, October 28, at 8:30 am in Department 3 before Judge Mangar.
Detectives are continuing their investigation and are seeking to identify and speak with a second subject who may have been involved in the assault.
“This was an extremely violent and senseless attack,” said Captain Pacheco. “Our patrol officers immediately began piecing together critical information that led to the identification of the suspect, and our detectives and crime analyst worked quickly to locate and arrest him. Their dedication to this investigation reflects the professionalism and persistence that our community expects and deserves.”
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information that could assist is encouraged to call Detective Croxen at 209-668-6542.
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