A convicted murderer who escaped from California custody in December is now accused of fatally shooting a police commander in Mexico during an attempted arrest, according to U.S. and Mexican authorities, NBC News reported.

Cesar Hernandez, 34, had been serving an 80-year-to-life sentence for a 2019 first-degree murder conviction in Los Angeles County when he escaped custody on Dec. 2. Authorities say he fled during a court appearance in Delano, California, where he was facing new charges after allegedly manufacturing a weapon and possessing drugs while incarcerated.

Video footage captured Hernandez running unrestrained across an empty field, absent of shackles or handcuffs. Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said Hernandez likely used a homemade key to free himself before punching a correctional officer and fleeing through an open gate in the courthouse’s transfer parking lot.

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