ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – The fake DTE Energy workers who are accused of killing a Rochester Hills homeowner are in court Tuesday.
Click here to watch the court case live.
Carlos Jose Hernandez, 37, and Joshua Zuazo, 39, both of Dearborn, are accused of posing as DTE workers to get into a home. They killed a man and tied up his wife, according to authorities.
We’ll have live updates from the courtroom all day long.
Here are some quick facts about the case:
- Hernandez and Zuazo have been charged with felony murder and two counts of unlawful imprisonment.
- The charges stem from the death of Hussein Murray, a 72-year-old man who lived at the Rochester Hills home.
- Officials said Murray’s wife was tied up with duct tape on her wrists and ankles. She eventually freed herself and called 911.
Forensic lab analysis expert called to testify
- 1:39 p.m. Tuesday
Siera Ramirez, who works in the forensic laboratory for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, was called to testify. She specializes in forensic DNA analysis.
She said she did the swabbing of the zip ties at the house and then once the analysis was complete they compared the DNA.
Results showed a likelihood ratio of Zuazo’s DNA present.
She said there was a wet and dry swab taken of the zip ties at the scene.
Some items listed in her report haven’t been tested yet, but will be soon, according to Ramirez.
Judge enters court room
- 1:38 p.m. Tuesday
Judge Laura Polizzi enters the room and court resumes.
Zuazo enters court room
- 1:28 p.m. Tuesday
Zuazo enters the court room following the recess.
Hernandez enters court room
- 1:27 p.m. Tuesday
Hernandez enters the court room following the recess.
Recap: First part of court day for fake DTE workers
- 1:21 p.m. Tuesday
The two men who are accused of posing as DTE Energy workers and killing a Rochester Hills man inside his home are in court today.
Watch the video below for the full first part of the court day, which included testimony from the wife of Hussein Murray, the mother-in-law of one defendant, Hernandez, a medical examiner and more.
Watch mother-in-law of Hernandez testify
- 1:07 p.m. Tuesday
Watch the video below for the full testimony of Danielle Diaz, whose daughter is married to Hernandez.
Watch Linda Murray’s testimony
- 12:56 p.m. Tuesday
Watch the video below for Linda Murray’s full testimony in the court case for Carlos Jose Hernandez, 37, and Joshua Zuazo, 39, both of Dearborn.
More on Linda Murray testimony
- 12:35 p.m. Tuesday
Linda Murray testified Tuesday about how she was tied up by two men who posed as DTE Energy workers who had killed her husband at their Rochester Hills home on Oct. 11.
Learn more about what she said during her testimony here.
Court takes recess
- 12:15 p.m. Tuesday
The court has taken a recess for an hour lunch break.
Hernandez’s mother-in-law testifies
- 12:02 p.m. Tuesday
Danielle Diaz was called to testify. She said that Hernandez is her son-in-law. He is married to her daughter.
When asked if she knew Zuazo, she said she only knew him by the name “Yogi.” She has only met him a couple of times, but has know Diaz for about three years.
Her daughter has a son, Hernandez’s stepson and they typically live in Texas.
Diaz said they came to Michigan in August and stayed with her. They drove a Jeep to get to Michigan.
She said she never saw a DTE truck or any kind of DTE identification at the house.
Diaz said Hernandez and her daughter left to go back to Texas at night, and she thought it was on a Friday, but couldn’t recall the exact date.
When asked, she said she has stayed in contact with Hernandez and recently wished him “Happy Birthday” on Facebook.
Diaz said Zuazo had been to her house twice, that she knew of, and didn’t really know him.
She was subpoenaed to be in court Tuesday, but said she didn’t really want to be there.
Diaz said she was shown clips from the Ring videos when she got there Tuesday, and wasn’t asked any questions by the investigator who showed her the videos. This was right before court, but she said she also saw the a video when detectives arrived at her house on Oct. 12.
At the time she said that the one suspect looked like Hernandez.
After watching the videos, she said she can identify the second suspect to be Zuazo.
She was asked if Zuazo was at her daughter and Hernandez’s wedding, and said he wasn’t.
When further asked if Zuazo was standing up in the wedding, she said no, and then said she didn’t see him at the wedding when questioned again about if he was present at the wedding.
Hussein Murray’s autopsy
- 11:50 a.m. Tuesday
Bryan said she determined Murray’s height and weight, and then looked for evidence of injury.
She said there was blunt force trauma to the head. She said she had lacerations and bone fractures to his jaw.
Bryan said they learned he had defused hemorrhage, or bleeding, all over the scalp.
He had bruising on his neck and there was bleeding in all of that, along with more bone fractures.
Bryan said there had to be a lot of pressure directly on the neck and crushing it to cause these injuries, which is why his cause of death was neck impression.
When asked how long the impression would have to last to cause death, Bryan said it depends on the person.
“He’s tied up, he’s older, he probably can’t struggle and fight back as much so I’d say a matter of minutes,” Bryan said. “Less than 10 minutes I would say.”
Murray was conscious and still breathing and inhaling during part of the attack due to the blood found in his lungs.
The matter of death was determined to be homicide. She said the injuries were consistent with someone being stomped on when asked.
Oakland County medical examiner testifies
- 11:46 a.m. Tuesday
Shauna Bryan was called to testify. She is the deputy chief medical examiner for Oakland County.
She did an autopsy on Hussein Murray.
Bryan said Murray came in fully clothed and noticed that he had duct tape covering his face, and around his hands and feet. He also had zip ties around his hands and paper bags covering his hands.
There was blood on him.
Forensic investigator discusses the fingerprints
- 11:43 a.m. Tuesday
The investigator said she collected plastic they found in the sink and she found several fingerprints on the that plastic.
She said the plastic was in the sink, and it all had apparent blood on it.
The plastic consisted of a Home Depot grocery bag, a red inflatable item (that was deflated) and a large piece of clear plastic that resembled a tarp. The prints she developed came from the tarp-like plastic.
Oakland County forensic lab investigator testifies
- 11:29 a.m. Tuesday
Valerie Mayra, a forensic lab investigator with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, is called to testify.
She said she did a report on the case. She worked with deputies at the scene to get information and then went through the home herself.
When she entered the house, she said there were a couple pieces of what looked like black electrical tape in the dining area of the kitchen and in the hallway.
She said the master bedroom looked like it had been ransacked. There was also a blood swipe mark in a spare bedroom.
The forensic investigator said she went to the basement and saw Hussein Murray’s body.
She saw an empty firearm holster on his hip. She also said several objects had blood on them. They found zip ties, tape in different areas of the basement, a blood impression under the zip ties, a bloody impression on a ceiling tile and on the side of a box.
Authorities check the basement
- 11:24 a.m. Tuesday
Before heading downstairs, the deputy saw blood on the wall and the handrail leading to the basement.
He said once they were downstairs, one of his partners saw the man lying on the ground.
The man was duct taped around his wrists, ankles, and his mouth, and there was a lot of blood.
He checked for a pulse, and then fire officials came down to try and administer aid.
They also cleared the second floor after that, and besides the rooms being torn apart, they didn’t find anything up there.
Deputy arrives at house
- 11:22 a.m. Tuesday
He said the woman answered the door and still had duct tape on her wrists.
She explained what had happened with the two defendants, who had posed as DTE Energy workers.
Once others arrived, they began to clear the house, and look for her husband, who she believed was still in the basement.
Oakland County Sheriff’s Office deputy testifies
- 11:19 a.m. Tuesday
An Oakland County Sheriff’s Office deputy assigned to the Rochester Hills substation was called to testify.
He was dispatched to a robbery at the Murray’s home, and got there in less than five minutes.
He said he was told that a woman called and reported that the house had been robbed and that she was tied up.
She also reported that her husband was in the house.
No doubt about the 2 suspects being in her house
- 11:12 a.m. Tuesday
McCarthy asked Murray if it was the most upsetting experience she’s had, and she said yes.
Hernandez’s attorney discusses how Murray asked about knowing where Zuazo is and asked her if Hernandez ever left the kitchen and went upstairs, to which she said he did not.
She said she has no doubt that Zuazo or Hernandez were the two people inside her house that day.
Zuazo’s attorney has Murray identify defendants
- 11:08 a.m. Tuesday
McCarthy has Murray discuss how she identified the defendants and about their characteristics.
He asks if it was easier to identify Hernandez because he was bigger, and asked if it was harder to identify Zuazo.
McCarthy also said that she could hear Zuazo upstairs, but couldn’t see him up there, and she agreed.
He asked her if she put it together that Zuazo was in the bedroom while she was in the kitchen with Zuazo because of the damage she saw after the fact, and she said yes.
Murray saw Zuazo through the Ring camera initially
- 11:05 a.m. Tuesday
Zuazo’s attorney, McCarthy, asks questions about when she saw Zuazo. She said the first night she only saw Zuazo through the Ring camera footage.
Ring video played in court
- 10:58 a.m. Tuesday
Ring video of Hernandez and Zuazo at the house on both days was played in court.
Zuazo and Hernandez leave the house
- 10:52 a.m. Tuesday
She could hear Zuazo going through stuff upstairs, before returning a few minutes later.
When he came back downstairs, Hernandez wanted to put her in the closet, but she couldn’t move so they sat her back in the chair.
They went through to the attached garage to leave.
Hernandez ties up Murray
- 10:51 a.m. Tuesday
Murray said after that, Hernandez duct taped her ankles and her wrists together.
Zuazo told Murray her husband was sleeping
- 10:49 a.m. Tuesday
She clarifies that when she asked where her husband was that Zuazo said he was sleeping.
Hernandez asked her if she would stop screaming and when she said she would, he sat her at the kitchen table.
When she was sat at the table, Hernandez took her watch off and put it across the table. He also pocketed her cellphone, before asking her for her car keys. She saw him take the keys and cash from her purse.
‘Where is my husband’
- 10:49 a.m. Tuesday
Murray said she started to ask, “Where is my husband” and noticed blood on Zuazo’s vest.
She said she started screaming and Hernandez hit her in the face.
Defendants ask about money and jewelry
- 10:47 a.m. Tuesday
The defendants asked her where the safe was and she said they didn’t have one. She said the jewelry wasn’t in the house and was in a safety deposit box when Hernandez asked her.
They asked where money was at, and she said the only money she had was what was in her purse, or what her husband had in his pocket.
She said she had about $300 in her purse, and her husband usually carried about $5,000 on him.
Hernandez comes up the stairs
- 10:46 a.m. Tuesday
She said Hernandez came up the stairs, with Zuazo following right behind.
Murray doesn’t hear any commotion in basement
- 10:45 a.m. Tuesday
Murray said she didn’t hear her husband or the defendants while they were downstairs, which she says was about 10 to 15 minutes.
Leading the defendants to the basement
- 10:42 a.m. Tuesday
Murray said Zuazo entered the laundry room, and Hernandez said he forgot his meter and needed to go get it from his truck. He went toward the front door.
She said Hernandez was gone for less than a minute, and he didn’t have anything with him.
After that, her husband led the defendants down the stairs.
Hernandez and Zuazo enter the house
- 10:40 a.m. Tuesday
Murray said Hernandez and Zuazo entered the home, and her husband was going to show them the basement because Hernandez said they needed to check something with the furnace.
Suspects return to front door
- 10:38 Tuesday
She said at around 10 or 11 a.m. the suspects returned to their house. She received a Ring notification, and her husband answered the front door.
Murray said she was about 10 feet behind him.
Her husband recognized them, and she said Hernandez gave him the clipboard to sign.
Murray says following day she went to appointment
- 10:38 Tuesday
Murray went to a doctors appointment at 10 a.m. the following day, and when she got home her husband was watching TV, and she went to make breakfast.
Suspects told to come back the next day
- 10:35 a.m. Tuesday
She asked her husband if he had his gun, but he didn’t respond. Her husband then told the suspects to come back tomorrow.
Murray said they didn’t give a time they’d be back, but said they’d be back the following day.
Suspects tell husband they were looking for gas leak
- 10:34 a.m. Tuesday
Murray said Hernandez told her husband they were looking for a gas leak in the neighborhood. Her husband questioned this, and she said she mentioned how it was kind of late for someone to be at the door.
Hernandez didn’t respond to her, but told her husband they checked the neighbor’s house, and also needed to check their house.
Murray details getting Ring notification when suspects were at her home
- 10:32 a.m. Tuesday
Murray said she saw the Ring notification on her phone and she was upstairs. She told her husband, who was downstairs in the family.
She could see down the stairwell and could see the front door, but she didn’t go down.
Murray discusses her husband’s gun
- 10:30 a.m. Tuesday
She said her husband had a gun, and said she believed it was a Glock. She said he would carry it for work, and while he wasn’t at work. He wore it on a holster.
She said she didn’t have a handgun of her own.
House didn’t have safe inside
- 10:29 a.m. Tuesday
When asked if the house had a safe inside, Murray said no, but she did say that her husband sometimes would keep large amounts of money home from the business and store it at the house.
She wasn’t aware of any large amounts of money inside the home at the time of the murder.
Murray describes layout of house
- 10:28 a.m. Tuesday
Murray describes the layout of the house, including the basement and the attached garage.
She talked about how they had a Ring and a Guardian alarm as security measures for the house.
Linda Murray called to testify
- 10:24 a.m. Tuesday
The wife of Hussein Murray was called to testify.
Judge denies Zuazo’s request
- 10:22 a.m. Tuesday
Polizzi denied his request and said Zuazo can’t wait two months after the court has scheduled the examination to make this request.
Zuazo addresses court
- 10:20 a.m. Tuesday
Zuazo said he’s asking him to withdraw as counsel, because he asked him to file a motion months ago and he “refused to do it.”
He said there are things in the case provided by the prosecution that aren’t true, and he doesn’t feel comfortable with him as his counsel.
Zuazo wants attorney to withdraw as his counsel
- 10:19 a.m. Tuesday
Zuazo wishes to have his defense attorney Michael McCarthy to withdraw as his counsel because Zuazo believes he didn’t do an “adequate investigation into his case.” He was notified of this Tuesday morning.
The defense attorney said he was intensely involved in his case. He said this is news to him as he spent time with Zuazo on Friday, Dec. 13, going over the case.
He doesn’t believe there is a basis for him to withdraw.
Court in session
- 10:17 a.m. Tuesday
Court is in session with Judge Laura Polizzi presiding over the preliminary examination.
Zuazo enters court room
- 10:16 a.m. Tuesday
Zuazo was escorted into the courtroom at 10:16 a.m. Tuesday.
Hernandez enters court room
- 10:15 a.m. Tuesday
Hernandez was escorted into the courtroom at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday.
What sheriff said
- 10:08 a.m. Tuesday
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard explained what police believe happened at the Rochester Hills home.
“They came back this morning with the same thing, said there was a gas leak,” Bouchard said. “They were allowed into the house. The husband went to the basement with them where the gas comes into the house and the wife never saw him again -- never saw him come up.”
Where this happened
- 9:59 a.m. Tuesday
This murder in this case happened at a home in the 3700 block of Newcastle Drive in Rochester Hills.
Zuazo’s arrest
- 9:50 a.m. Tuesday
After Hernandez was arrested, his wife apparently told investigators the other suspect was Zuazo, who was then found by law enforcement in Plymouth Township on Oct. 14.
Zuazo was taken into custody and lodged at the Oakland County Jail.
Hernandez arrested in Louisiana
- 9:42 a.m. Tuesday
Hernandez was arrested Oct. 12, 2024, in Shreveport, Louisiana.
The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office said Hernandez was spotted traveling south on I-49 from Arkansas.
Investigators pulled him over and took him into custody. He was also wanted in Ohio for an armed robbery warrant.
What happened inside home?
- 9:37 a.m. Tuesday
When the men were let inside the home, Murray signed a piece of paper that they told him was from DTE. He led them into the basement, but when the two men came back up, Murray wasn’t with them.
They reportedly tied the woman up with duct tape on her wrists and ankles and asked where the money and jewelry were. Police said they spent at least 20 minutes searching the home before leaving with her watch and phone.
She managed to 911 after freeing herself and when Oakland County sheriff’s deputies arrived, she told them she believed her husband may have been kidnapped.
While searching the home, deputies found Murray’s body in the basement. He was reportedly bound with duct tape on his wrists, ankles, and face.
Men originally weren’t allowed inside
- 9:28 a.m. Tuesday
Police believe Hernandez and Zuazo went to the Rochester Hills home at 10 p.m. Oct. 10, 2024, posing as DTE Energy workers.
They told the couple through a doorbell camera that they were there to check a gas leak, but the homeowners but did not allow them inside.
The men were allowed inside the home when they returned about 12 hours later, officials said.
