Sacramento court arraignment postponed again for man accused in ABC10 shooting
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- A Sacramento Superior Court arraignment was postponed again in the ABC10 shooting.
- The arraignment on state criminal charges has been postponed three times.
- The suspect is in federal custody preventing him from appearing in superior court.
A Sacramento Superior Court arraignment was postponed for a third time on Thursday for a man arrested nearly four weeks ago on charges stemming from a shooting at the ABC10 TV station.
Anibal “Al” Hernandez Santana, who is accused of firing a gun last month at the ABC10 TV station in Sacramento, again did not appear for his arraignment on state charges.
The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office has charged Hernandez Santana, 64, with firing a gun into an inhabited building and assault with a semi-automatic firearm. If convicted of these state charges, Hernandez Santana could face a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison.
Mark Reichel, Hernandez Santana’s attorney, waived his client’s right to appear in court for Thursday’s hearing.
Deputy District Attorney Casey Newton said in court that Hernandez Santana could not be present for his arraignment, because the accused man remains under federal custody at the Sacramento County Main Jail. Superior Court Commissioner Benjamin Cassady postponed the arraignment to Nov. 20.
It’s unclear whether Hernandez Santana will be able to attend the Nov. 20 hearing either. A federal judge last month ordered Hernandez Santana to remain in jail while facing federal charges in the shooting.
The shooting occurred shortly after 1:30 p.m. Sept. 19 at the ABC10 TV studios in the 400 block of Broadway in Sacramento’s Upper Land Park neighborhood. It came a day after about 15 protesters held a demonstration outside the TV station to denounce a network decision to take “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air following remarks Kimmel made related to Kirk’s murder.
The ABC network, which is owned by Disney, was criticized for its decision to halt production of Kimmel’s late night show. The show returned to the airwaves several days later.
The Sacramento Police Department initially arrested Hernandez Santana, before he was released from the jail hours later after posting a $200,000 bail bond. The FBI arrested Hernandez Santana later that day after investigators served a search warrant at his home.
Hernandez Santana, a retired lobbyist, has remained in custody since Sept. 20 at the jail under a federal hold, which has prevented local authorities from getting him to appear for his arraignment on state charges.
Hernandez Santana has already appeared in federal court three times since his arrest. On Oct. 6, Reichel entered a not guilty plea on behalf of his client in Hernandez Santana’s federal criminal case.
A federal grand jury indicted Hernandez Santana of Sacramento on charges of firing a 9mm handgun within a school zone, possessing a firearm within a school zone and willfully or maliciously interfering with or causing interference to any radio communications of any station. If convicted of the federal charges, he faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
A criminal complaint filed by the FBI alleged that investigators found in Hernandez Santana’s car a handwritten note that read, “For hiding Epstein & ignoring red flags. Do not support Patel, Bongino, & AG Pam Bondi. They’re next. – C.K. from above.” The note was referencing the Jefferey Epstein child sex trafficking scandal, along with FBI Director Kash Patel, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, President Donald Trump’s attorney general and the shooting death of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk at a Sept. 10 event at Utah Valley University.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Wong has said in court that Hernandez Santana stood in a nearby school zone and fired a gunshot into the air shortly before driving around the block to fire three gunshots into the lobby of the ABC10 building. The TV station is near Leataata Floyd Elementary School and Health Professions High School.
