Leslie Hernandez Obituary

On Thursday, April 6, former Samo student Leslie Hernandez passed away due to an unknown cause.A body later identified as Hernandez was discovered on the edge of the Los Angeles River on April 6. According to the report released by the coroner's office, the case is currently being investigated as a possible drug overdose.According to the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD), officers were sent to the Los Angeles riverbed at 1:30 a.m. in response to a 911 call reporting a body. Officers found what was then an unidentified body. The call said a vehicle was seen leaving the area, but further investigation did not lead to any arrests.On April 11, the LBPD released the identity of the body as Leslie Hernandez.“Based on the initial results of the investigation, which includes the preliminary findings of the LA County Coroner’s Office, this case is being investigated as a possible drug overdose,” a statement from LBPD said. “The details surrounding why her remains were at that location are still under investigation.”Hernandez is remembered by her friends as caring and open.“She would always defend me for being different, and she cared a lot for our friendship and treated me like family,” Isaac Ricardo (’17) said. “She always had open arms for anyone, definitely one of the coolest, funniest and outgoing girls I know.”Many other students had similar experiences with her.“First of all she was a fearless girl. She was always so loud and full of excitement,” Dee Cruz (’17) said. “In my freshman and sophomore year I was really unmotivated and sad and Leslie just had all this life inside of her that she had the ability to make me laugh and she made me feel happy about myself.”Another friend, Jazlyn Landaverde (’17), remembers Hernandez as someone who “kept it real” and always sought to see the best in her peers.“She was so welcoming and selfless. She had a rough past but this girl was resilient. And she had the power to rub that off on us,” Landavere said. “The last time I spoke with her she caught me up with her exciting life and we shared memories together. I will always remember her calling us beautiful and her being so straight-forward. The best thing about Leslie was that she never judged you, she didn't believe you were weak, she always saw the good in people. And that's what we all loved about her.”