Serial Kidnapper, Convicted Rapist's Latest Victim Managed To Escape

HAVERSTRAW, NY — A Rockland County man, who is a serial kidnapper and convicted rapist, has reached a plea deal that will return him to prison, according to prosecutors.

District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II announced on Wednesday that 49-year-old Eduardo Hernandez, of Garnerville, has pleaded guilty to second-degree kidnapping in Rockland County Court. He will be sentenced to 14 years in prison on June 3.

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• Kidnapping Charges In Case Where Victim Had Screwdriver Held To Her Throat At Hudson Valley Home: DA

• Suspect Grabbed Woman By Neck, Held Screwdriver To Her Throat At Hudson Valley Home: Police

On Sept. 14, at 5:25 p.m., Hernandez attacked his latest victim outside a home in the Village of Haverstraw. He abducted the woman by restraining her, as he grabbed her by the neck and held a screwdriver to her throat, threatening to use deadly physical force.

The woman fought Hernandez off and called for help. Witnesses saw him flee in a vehicle and were able to get the license plate number.

Investigators located Hernandez's vehicle and initiated a traffic stop the following day, at approximately 9:15 a.m., in Stony Point. Hernandez then fled on foot, but was soon caught.

Prosecutors say that Hernandez's history dates back several decades.

He was released from prison on March 15, 2022, after serving a total of 19 years for three separate felony convictions.

On Aug. 4, 2004, he pleaded guilty to the rape of one victim and also pleaded guilty to the kidnapping of a second woman, both occurring on April 18, 2004. He received two 14-year determinate terms of incarceration concurrent with each other for those crimes.

On June 29, 2005, Hernandez pleaded guilty to the earlier kidnapping of a third woman on Dec. 22, 2002. He received an additional five-year determinate sentence in prison to be served consecutively to the previous 14-year sentences for the April 18, 2004 crimes.

On April 18, 2004, a 52-year-old woman, who had been walking home from the grocery store on Cosgrove Avenue in the Village of West Haverstraw, was approached from behind by Hernandez, who proceeded to put a rope around her neck and pulled her inside of a van. Once he had the victim inside of the vehicle he forcibly held her face down, tore her clothing and raped her vaginally and anally. During the rape he threatened her, ordering her not to look at him, and stating that he had a gun and that he would kill her.

After the rape, and while still in the van he stole her purse and money. He then partially dressed her placed a laundry bag over her head, before ordering her out of the van and driving away.

The victim went to her home and immediately called 911.

Approximately 30 minutes later, a second woman, age 31, was doing laundry in the basement laundry room of the Kensington Circle apartment complex in Haverstraw, when Hernandez entered the building. As she was standing in front of the dryers in the room, Hernandez approached her from behind and put his arms around her neck and restrained her before dragging her behind the dryers.

A struggle ensued and Hernandez began to pull the electrical cords from the dryers and tried to wrap them around the victim's neck. The victim proceeded to fight him off and screamed for help. Hernandez then fled the laundry room, and the victim called the police.

Based upon the description provided by the second victim, Hernandez was stopped and detained approximately 40 minutes later. The second victim was brought to the location where he was detained and positively identified him as the person who abducted her.

Hernandez was at the time interviewed by members of the Town of Haverstraw police department and admitted to being at both crime scenes.

The van used in the first incident was searched and authorities found rope, laundry bags and money inside.

During the course of those investigations, Hernandez provided the police department with a DNA sample, which was entered into the New York State DNA databank.

On Dec 22, 2002, a 48-year-old woman was walking on a path at the Marian Shrine, in the Town of Haverstraw. A man suddenly ran up from behind her, grabbed her, put his hands around her eyes and mouth and put a rope around her neck. He then forcibly pulled her off the path and into a wooded area where he got on top of her. He told her to be quiet and that he would not hurt her.

The victim struggled with the man, was able to break free and ran to the residence at Marian Shrine with the rope still around her neck.

She gave a description to the police, and a canine unit tracked a scent from the scene of the crime to the area of North Rockland High School where a grey shirt was recovered.

The Town of Haverstraw Police Department responded to investigate. The rope was seized as evidence and sent to the New York State Police Laboratory in Albany, along with the grey shirt.

In August of 2004, the DNA Databank matched the DNA profile of Hernandez with the rope recovered from the victim's neck. The shirt matched the DNA of Hernandez as well. Hernandez was placed in a court-ordered lineup on April 13, 2005, and the victim from the Marian Shrine kidnapping identified him as her attacker.

Hernandez was then charged with this third kidnapping and pleaded guilty on June 29, 2005, to second-degree kidnapping, and received an additional five-year prison term to run consecutively to the 14-year sentences he received for the crimes he committed on April 18, 2004.

The 2004 and 2005 cases were prosecuted by First Assistant DA Doreen M. Lloyd. The 2025 case is being prosecuted by Supervising Assistant DA Gerard M. Damiani III and Senior Assistant DA Kaitlin DeLuca of the Special Victims Unit.

The most recent investigation was conducted by the Haverstraw Police Department with assistance from the Stony Point Police Department, and the Rockland County Sheriff's Office.