FREDERICK, MD – Santos Felipe Reyes Valle, 40, received a life sentence for first-degree murder in Frederick County Circuit Court on Thursday. Judge Kathleen English imposed the sentence after a jury found Valle guilty on June 23.
The charges stemmed from an incident on May 17, when Frederick Police responded to a 911 call about an unresponsive male in the Home Depot parking lot. They located the victim, Jose Pedro Hernandez, who had been stabbed in the neck and was covered in blood.
Emergency Medical Services transported Hernandez to Frederick Health Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Witnesses reported seeing Valle, known as “Felipe,” with a knife and displaying signs of intoxication.
A folding knife with blood was discovered nearby in a wooded area. Police interviewed Valle, who was walking near the scene and had wet clothing and scratches on his face and arms.
Forensic analysis linked the knife to Valle, identifying both his DNA and fingerprints alongside that of the victim.
In Victim Impact Statements, Hernandez’s family expressed grief and requested that the defendant never be released from prison. “Pedro was the head of our family and it has affected us greatly,” they said.