‘I can’t hate him,’ Fresno mother says as her son’s killer is sentenced to prison
A Fresno man was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison Monday for the stabbing death of a friend whose family was helping him out after falling on hard times.
Antonio Atkinson, 48, declined to speak during his sentencing hearing. But his attorney, Curtis Sok, said that while his client suffers from mental illness, he is deeply remorseful for the death of 54-year-old Reynaldo Hernandez.
“This is a tragedy for all sides, and my client sincerely apologies to the community and to the victim’s family,” Sok said.
Nearly a dozen members of the murdered man’s family were present in the courtroom, including family matriarch Rosa Hernandez, 86. Reynaldo Hernandez was the youngest of her six children and the only boy. He was her soul, her baby, her everything, family members said.
“My Tio Rey was the light of our family. He was always happy, always dancing,” said Veronica Baez, his niece. “We know that getting justice for him will not bring him back. But we are going to get closure for his death and we really need to get this done.”
Hernandez was killed in August 2018 at the family’s Fresno home in the 4700 block of E. Garrett Avenue. Atkinson, a lifelong friend of the family, was living in the Hernandez’s garage after his mother died of cancer and he was struggling to cope with her death.
What prompted Atkinson to walk into the home that day and confront Hernandez remains unclear, family members said. Hernandez was stabbed several times, including in the eye, police said. He was taken to Community Regional Medical Center, where he died.
Rosa Hernandez knew Atkinson’s mother well and had vowed to look after him and provide him the help he needed to get back on his feet.
“She saw what he was going through, so she tried to help him and watch over him,” Baez said. “It’s what she does for a lot of people.”
At the time, Rosa Hernandez was still grieving herself. Her husband of nearly 62 years had recently passed away.
After the sentencing, family members gathered in the courtroom’s hallway. Many hugged a weeping Rosa Hernandez, who said she has forgiven Atkinson.
“I can’t hate him,” she said through tears. “But he still took my son.”
Maria Vega, sister of Reynaldo and daughter of Rosa Hernandez, described her mother as one of the strongest women she knows.
“For her to have gone through all this is incredible, Vega said.
Atkinson pleaded no contest in April to second degree murder. Prosecuting the case was Senior Deputy District Attorney Elana Smith.
