Hernandez was last seen in Sandy Valley, Nevada on January 28, 2007. He had worked long hours at a 50-acre hay farm at Two Hawk Ranch, two miles from the Nevada/California state line, for fourteen years. The ranch is very isolated, three miles from the nearest paved road and sixteen miles from the interstate. Hernandez mostly lived on the ranch and spent weekends with his wife and three children in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hernandez was last seen selling a bale of hay to a customer on the ranch at 11:20 a.m. He has never been heard from again. He left his vehicle behind at the ranch, his wallet and identification in his living quarters, and the door to the office unlocked. His family reported him missing on January 29.

Hernandez's family said he was behaving normally the last time they saw him, which was January 26. He wasn't having any personal problems, gambling debts, or substance abuse issues. He hadn't been paid in over two months, because he tended to store away his time cards until he needed money. He was carrying only a small amount of money on him at the time of his disappearance, and he promised to lend his boss money to buy farm equipment. Foul play is suspected in Hernandez's case, which remains unsolved. San Bernardino County, California authorities are investigation.