STORRS, Conn. — The older brother of late New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is behind bars after a woman close to him told police she was worried he was planning a school shooting.
Bristol Police apprehended Dennis “D.J.” Hernandez at his home in Bristol. When confronted, Hernandez yelled at officers to shoot him. They did but with a taser.
“I’m so glad they caught him before he did any damage,” remarked Bristol resident Cheryl Wegner.
It was the 4th time this year that the 35-year-old was arrested. FOX61 obtained the arrest warrant where Hernadez’s ex-girlfriend told police he drove to the Storrs campus on July 7 to “map the schools out” and went inside “a number of classrooms and buildings.”
“In this day and age when our police department sees something that’s a little suspicious. Luckily they took quick action and made sure nothing did happen and the public was safe at all times,” remarked Bristol Mayor Jeff Caggiano.
In a text message to a family member, Hernandez allegedly wrote “UConn program is going to pay…I don’t give a **** who gets caught in the crossfire.” Hernandez went on to write, “Not all shootings are bad. I’m realizing some are necessary for change to happen.”
This arrest comes after Hernandez was apprehended in May following a high-speed chase. Then again days later for vandalizing property at ESPN. The Hernandez name is well known in Bristol. D.J. Hernandez is the brother of convicted murderer and former football star Aaron Hernandez.
“It’s my hope for the Hernandez family that Mr. Hernandez gets the help that he needs and they move forward,” said Mayor Caggiano.
In response to the arrest - UConn officials told FOX61. “At the time, there was no known imminent threat to UConn…The UConn Police Department treats any potential threat to our campus communities with the utmost seriousness.”
The key arrest thwarts what could have been a serious tragedy. It reinforces the importance of proactive police work and investigating every credible threat. But Bristol’s Mayor says it also puts the spotlight on mental health.
“It affects people of all ages and all families. There are resources out there,” added Caggiano.
n fact, Bristol is right now building a behavioral mental health center downtown. Meanwhile, Hernandez is charged with threatening and is being held on $250,000 bond.
Aaron Hernandez killed himself in 2017 while serving a murder sentence.
Read Dennis Hernadez's full warrant here.
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
---
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.