Larry Hernández Stopped By West Covina Police On Suspicion Of Drug Trafficking

Larry Hernández

West Covina police held Hernández for more than 40 minutes on suspicion of drug trafficking and drug cartel ties.

By H. Nelson Goodson

December 6, 2013
(Updated)

West Covina, CA - On Thursday, Larry Hernández, 36, a popular Mexican regional singer was stopped by West Covina police on suspicion of drug trafficking, according to Hernández. Hernández tweeted his temporary stop by police and wrote, "Covina police stopped me and several friends using an argument and alleging that I sold drugs or was a member of a drug cartel." Hernández uses the name of "Mayor del Cartel" on Twitter.
Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) contacted the Covina Police Department about Hernández's allegation. Kim Raney, the Covina Police Chief stated, after reviewing their in-car video camera system, they found no recorded incident of Hernández ever being stopped by their department. Raney identified the police squad in Hernández posted photo of a reflection of a police squad as a West Covina Police Department vehicle.
Hernández was contacted, but has yet to respond about Chief Raney's results of his investigation claiming that his department was not involved in temporarily stopping Hernández.
Paul LaCommare, Interim Chief of Police for the West Covina Police Department was also contacted by HNNUSA about Hernández Thursday's incident. No response has been made by LaCommare.

According to Hernández, he was made to sit on a sidewalk in a cold afternoon for more than 40 minutes. The West Covina officer called for backup and several other police squads arrived at the scene. Hernández says, the officer called for assistance "believing I was a bad dude." 

The West Covina officers later realized what he did for a career, but they still doubted him. It was until a family passed by and called out Hernández name, that's when the officers finally realized who he was. The officers laughed and then apologized for the unfortunate profiling, according to Hernández. He was allowed to leave the scene. Hernández took it into strive and said, thinks happen for a reason and maybe, if they wouldn't have stopped me, something might have happened. It was destiny, according to Hernández.
Hernández originally from Los Angeles, gained his popularity in 2009 for depicting the Mexican drug cartel culture in his album that included 16 ballad songs of Narco songs. He won an award for the Mexican Regional Artist of the Year for 2012 Premio Lo Nuestro Awards. In 2010, he won the Latin Artist of the Year in the New category for the Latin Billboard Music Awards. In 2011, Hernández won Regional Mexican Airplay Artist of the Year and Regional Mexican Albums Artist of the Year for the Latin Billboard Music Awards.

On Thursday, West Covina Police officers suspect and allegedly profiled Larry Hernández as a drug trafficker and a drug cartel member. Police were later disappointed that Hernández was just a popular Mexican regional singing artist that depicts ballads of Narcos.