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An investigation into the death of Xavier Guadalupe Hernandez during an arrest on the side of a freeway is now in the hands of the El Paso District Attorney’s Office. It will likely go to a grand jury to determine if criminal charges will be filed against police officers.Hernandez, 30, died in a controversial case recorded on an El Paso Police Department body camera video that raised criticism over how police handled what started as a call about a pedestrian on Interstate 10 and ended with Hernandez’s death on July 13.More: El Paso medical examiner rules man who died in police struggle as a homicideAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEl Paso District Attorney James Montoya, in an emailed statement on Wednesday, Aug. 20, said his office has now received the investigation conducted by El Paso police.”While the case is pending, we cannot offer any other comment about it specifically,” Montoya stated. “However, it is the policy of the DA’s Office to present all in-custody deaths and officer-involved shootings to a grand jury of El Pasoans for their review and determination of potential criminal liability.”Xavier Guadalupe Hernandez is seen in an image from an El Paso police officer’s body camera during a struggle and arrest that ended with Hernandez’s death on Interstate 10 in El Paso, Texas, on July 13, 2025.EPPD body camera video released this week showed Hernandez in an agitated state on the shoulder of the busy freeway in a situation that quickly escalated into a struggle as an officer repeatedly shocked him with a Taser.”Officer, what’s your badge number?” Hernandez repeatedly yells in the video, which shows Hernandez stop breathing while handcuffed behind his back and held facedown on the asphalt by officers.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAn autopsy by the county medical examiner’s office deemed Hernandez’s death a homicide caused by “asphyxia due to chest compression during law enforcement subdual and restrain” with cocaine toxicity as a “significant” factor.DA: Grand jury to look at police deadly force casesMontoya, a Democrat, took office in January after defeating former Republican DA Bill Hicks in the November 2024 election.Montoya previously had an unsuccessful run for DA, losing to Yvonne Rosales in the 2020 Democratic primary. Rosales later ended up resigning from office amid accusations of incompetence and Hicks was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to fill in the remainder of her term.El Paso District Attorney James Montoya said his office has received the investigation by the El Paso Police Department into the death of Xavier Guadalupe Hernandez on July 13 during an arrest by police alongside Interstate 10. File photo.During the 2020 campaign, police brutality was a hot topic amid the George Floyd protests, Black Lives Matter movement and the COVID-19 pandemic.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn 2020, Montoya said in an El Paso Times interview that incidents in which police use deadly force should be automatically investigated.”Whether that is a discharge of a firearm, some kind of chokehold, any type of deadly force, including a Taser, which I believe is deadly force, will be presented to an El Paso grand jury for their review for potential criminal charges,” Montoya said in 2020.Daniel Borunda may be reached at [email protected] and @BorundaDaniel on X.This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso police bodycam video death case likely to go to grand jury

Hundreds of employees at a Target distribution hub in Chicago have been fired, news outlets report, after allegedly exploiting a glitch in the company’s health care loan program — costing the retailer more than $1 million.According to Block Club Chicago, the flaw allowed workers to borrow $3,000 and erase the balance after repaying just $50. Word of the loophole spread quickly through the Target Flow Center, and employees started joining in on the scheme.Don’t missAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCharles Thrush, who first reported the story, says one person “found a glitch in the system” and encouraged others to cash in, turning the scheme into a personal payday.“He would charge $200 to $300, basically, for all these people to get their loans,” Thrush told WGN News in a story published Aug. 19.How widespread was it?Thrush estimates that between 400 and 700 workers were fired over a two-week period from the end of July into August.Target has not confirmed the exact number of terminations but said in a statement to both news outlets: “Following an internal investigation, we have terminated team members found to be in violation of our company’s code of ethics.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFor the Target employees involved, it’s unclear whether criminal charges will follow. Block Club Chicago reports the scheme may have cost the company over $1 million.Read more: Nervous about the stock market? Gain potential quarterly income through this $1B private real estate fund — even if you’re not a millionaire. Here’s how to get started with as little as $10In Illinois, health care fraud is typically prosecuted as a Class 4 felony — carrying penalties of up to three years in prison and fines of as much as $25,000 for individuals, according to law firm Dolci & Weiland.Health care fraud isn’t limited to corporate benefits programs. The FBI estimates it costs the U.S. tens of billions of dollars each year, with schemes ranging from double billing — submitting multiple claims for the same service — to phantom billing for services never provided, or “upcoding,” where providers bill for more expensive procedures than those actually performed. These practices can drive up costs for businesses, insurers and consumers.The real price of easy moneySome former workers told WGN News they were blindsided by the terminations, insisting they thought they were taking advantage of a benefit that offered fast cash, which they would repay over time. Others said they were shocked to learn a fraud scheme was happening at all.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“I know they’re hiring extremely mad right now. Every Tuesday and Friday you see new classes and new faces, like, every single day,” Target employee Matthew Clarke told WGN News. “They’re definitely paying enough to where you shouldn’t even have to worry about trying to steal.”Target told the local broadcaster it has introduced new safeguards to prevent similar abuse and that the firings won’t affect day-to-day operations.Employee loan programs and workplace perks can be a valuable resource, but they’re not free money. Read the terms closely, track your repayments and ask HR to clarify anything that seems vague. If you notice a loophole that looks too good to be true, resist the urge to test it out — exploiting it could cost you your job, your reputation or even your freedom. And if you suspect a program or offer might be a scam, report it right away to your employer or the appropriate authority.What to read nextAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementStay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. Subscribe now.This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.