How a water gun and a car wash sent a Vineland, NJ, man to prison for 10 years

A water gun and a car wash have indirectly sent a Vineland man to prison for a decade.

The Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office says on Monday under the terms of a plea agreement, 26-year-old Miguel A. Hernandez was sentenced to ten years in state prison on three counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.

Authorities said on November 5th, 2022, Hernandez was reportedly involved in a simple assault where he shot at a group of random people using an Orbeez water bead gun as he was driving by them.

Vineland police officers stopped and searched his vehicle where they found two Orbeez water guns and ammunition. A passenger of that vehicle was located nearby sitting next to a bookbag that contained a 9mm semiautomatic pistol, ammunition, two driver's licenses belonging to Hernandez, and other items.

On March 2nd, 2023, Vineland Police found Hernandez, who had an active warrant out for his arrest, sitting in the passenger seat of a parked car. A loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol was found inside his jacket.

About a year later on March 19th, 2024, Hernandez, who was a passenger in a stolen vehicle in a bay at Al's Super Suds car wash on Delsea Drive, was, again, approached by Vineland police officers. After a foot chase where two cops suffered minor injuries, Hernandez was apprehended.

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The driver of that car told police that there was a gun in a middle compartment of the vehicle and cops found an unloaded .40 caliber Smith & Wesson semiautomatic pistol and a separate extended magazine containing twelve rounds of ammunition, including three hollow-point rounds.

Hernandez must serve at least five years of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

The State was represented by Assistant Prosecutor Lindsay Sarafova. The defendant was represented by JoEllyn Jones, Esq.