Jimmy Hernandez is a supporting character in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
He is voiced by Armando Riesco, who also voiced Victor Vance in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
History
Background
Hernandez is a police officer with the Los Santos Police Department and C.R.A.S.H., alongside Frank Tenpenny and Eddie Pulaski. He recalls one of his most difficult cases to be a domestic dispute.
He joined the LSPD in 1989. He was involved in a domestic violence case where a twenty-year-old hit his wife for letting their kids starve. Hernandez was forced to choose to either let the man walk free or arrest the man and let his drug addict wife keep neglecting her kids in the meantime. Three years later, he applied for C.R.A.S.H. membership with an intention to end gang crime.
Events of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Hernandez almost blows his membership with Tenpenny and Pulaski early on, after he says that a domestic dispute was difficult. Tenpenny tells him to get out of the car in Jefferson, however he is later seen in the dock area with Tenpenny and Pulaski. In The Introduction, Tenpenny asks Hernandez to shoot Ralph Pendelbury, which he does only after having his own life threatened.
Hernandez continues to work with Tenpenny and Pulaski in controlling each of the four gangs in Los Santos, but also in controlling the returning Carl Johnson. They pull him over when he is just around the corner from his home in Ganton, and frame him for the murder of Officer Pendelbury. They throw him out of the car, and leave him in Jefferson, which is Ballas territory. Later on, Hernandez phones Carl Johnson, telling him not to leave Los Santos and that they are watching him.
C.R.A.S.H. then tells Ryder about a train load of ammunition and weapons arriving in Los Santos, which Carl and Ryder then take. C.R.A.S.H. later employs Carl Johnson to burn down a number of houses used by the Los Santos Vagos. Following this, Carl is told to disrupt a meeting between the Ballas and the Russian Mafia. However, C.R.A.S.H. later turn on Carl and the Grove Street Families, and take Carl to Angel Pine in Whetstone.
Carl is left without any weapons and in the middle of nowhere, however C.R.A.S.H. knows exactly where he is. They send him up Mount Chiliad to kill a witness who is going to testify against Tenpenny and Pulaski, possibly Hernandez as well.
Upon reaching Las Venturas, Carl Johnson finds out from Mike Toreno about the murder of Officer Ralph Pendelbury by the hands of Frank Tenpenny, although Frank only ordered the murder, while Hernandez actually killed Pendelbury. This might be explained by the fact that Hernandez reported the murder to Internal Affairs, but told them that Tenpenny killed Pendelbury, since admitting he murdered an officer could bring him trouble. Since Toreno is a governmental agent and has access to such information as Jimmy's statement, he told Carl only what Hernandez declared. Of course, nobody could know what actually happened, with Pendelbury dead, Hernandez protecting himself, C.R.A.S.H. framing CJ and CJ not knowing the real situation. Toreno himself does not mention Hernandez.
When Carl, Tenpenny and Pulaski next meet in Las Venturas, Frank Tenpenny says that the gig is nearly up. He states that he and Pulaski may lose their badges, but does not mention Hernandez. This suggests that they are aware of Hernandez's role within C.R.A.S.H. This becomes apparent when Tenpenny and Pulaski turn on Hernandez. Tenpenny hits him with a shovel, knocking him out and calling him a snitch. Tenpenny presumes that he is dead and leaves. Pulaski, meanwhile, is left to force Carl Johnson to dig a grave for both him and Hernandez, but Hernandez suddenly regains consciousness and gets up in order to help Carl. However, Pulaski turns around and shoots Hernandez in the heart, killing him instantly, with his body falling into the grave.
He is mentioned in the mission Riot by a television news reporter, saying that he had probably been killed for threatening to turn states evidence.
Character
Personality
Hernandez is actually a good cop, as he clearly wants to stop gang violence, not manipulate it like Tenpenny and Pulaski. In The Introduction, he mentions a domestic dispute over a father beating his drug-addicted spouse for buying drugs instead of food, thus allowing their children to starve. He recalls asking himself if he should let the man off for domestic abuse, or arrest the man, which would leave the children with a drug-addicted mother. While telling this story, he is ignored by Tenpenny and Pulaski.
Hernandez seems to have respect for Tenpenny at the beginning of The Introduction, but after being forced to kill fellow officer Ralph Pendelbury and seeing Tenpenny and Pulaski dealing with CJ, whom he knows is a criminal, he decides to inform the feds on his co-workers.
Murders Committed
- Ralph Pendelbury - Killed on Frank Tenpenny's orders under the threat of death.
Influence
Hernandez is likely influenced by Javier Ovando, who was wrongfully implicated and shot during the Rampart scandal by Rafael Pérez, who served as inspiration for Tenpenny. Both individuals share the traits of being young officers of Hispanic descent. However, in contrast to Hernandez, Ovando survived the shooting, although he ultimately became paralyzed.
Prominent Appearances in Gameplay
- The Introduction
- In the Beginning
- Tagging Up Turf (Post-mission phone call)
- Catalyst
- Burning Desire
- Gray Imports
- The Green Sabre
- High Noon (Killed)
Gallery
Trivia
- During the mission Misappropriation, Pulaski claims that Hernandez has been gone for too long; it is possible that Hernandez was revealing information about Tenpenny and Pulaski at the time.
- The only time Hernandez speaks in the game is in a phone call to CJ warning him not to flee the town. He does not speak again after this. He does, however, speak continuously during The Introduction, only to be berated by Tenpenny and Pulaski for talking about irrelevant subjects; this is probably why he is quiet for the whole game.
- Notably, Hernandez's voice is different between The Introduction and the actual game. In the game, Hernandez speaks with a standard American accent. However, in the Introduction, he speaks with a slightly more Hispanic accent.
- Whenever Tenpenny and Pulaski meet with Big Smoke, they never bring Hernandez along, suggesting that they don't trust him with the knowledge of their dealings with Big Smoke.
- He has a lot in common with Andreas Sanchez, a character from Grand Theft Auto V. Both are of Mexican descent, both work for the government (Hernandez is working for C.R.A.S.H., while Sanchez is working for the FIB), both work as minor partners of a main antagonist (Hernandez is working with Frank Tenpenny, while Sanchez is a partner of Steve Haines), who blackmails the protagonist to work for them (CJ for Jimmy, and Trevor, Michael and Franklin for Andreas), and both betray their patrons in the end, only to be almost immediately killed by them for that (Hernandez in High Noon, and Sanchez in The Wrap Up).
- Hernandez is based on Ethan Hawke's character Jake Hoyt from the movie Training Day. Both are laughed at by their new mentor upon first meeting after describing a past event on the job, both hesitate to participate in corrupt actions but are forced or threatened into doing so, and both share the initials "J.H.".