Late on Friday night into the early hours of Saturday, downtown Yakima, Washington bore witness to a tragic turn of events. At around 1:40 a.m., the Yakima Police Department responded to reports of a man down in a parking lot along the 100 block of South Second Street. What officers found was 28-year-old Alejandro Hernandez Baez, gravely injured after being struck by a vehicle. Despite immediate efforts by police and paramedics, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators say Baez had earlier spent time at a downtown bar, where he and a 29-year-old man reportedly argued. Following that altercation, the suspect allegedly got behind the wheel, and hours later police located his vehicle in the nearby Moxee, Washington area. He was arrested without incident and booked on a charge of vehicular homicide.
While authorities have confirmed the sequence of events—bar dispute, striking incident, arrest—they emphasize that key pieces remain unknown. It’s still unclear whether the collision was intentional, or if impairment played a role in the fatal moment. The case now lies with the Yakima County Prosecutor’s Office for review and potential formal charges.
Friends and loved ones of Baez describe him as a warm-hearted, hard-working man whose life was abruptly cut short. The community now mourns not just the loss of a life, but the many moments that will never be. People are asking what might have been done differently, how a simple disagreement escalated into tragedy.
In the meantime, police are appealing to the public for help. They are asking anyone who witnessed the incident or has surveillance footage from that part of downtown Yakima to contact Detective Lukas Hinton at (509) 575-3509, or reach out to Yakima County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
As the investigation continues, the ripple effect of this tragedy spreads across Yakima. A night out meant to be typical now ends in grief. And while answers may eventually emerge, the emptiness left behind for Baez’s family and friends is already deeply felt.