Escaped Kern County inmate Cesar Hernandez now wanted for officer's murder in Mexico

KERN COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- An inmate who escaped outside a courthouse in Delano last year is now on the run after a shootout with authorities in Mexico on Wednesday.

Several news outlets in Mexico have reported that Mexican police commander Abigail Esparza Reyes was killed in an exchange of gunfire with Cesar Hernandez in a Tijuana neighborhood.

Reports say that officers from the U.S. and Mexico were trying to arrest Hernandez when the shooting began.

Hernandez was serving a sentence at Kern Valley State Prison when he escaped from custody on December 2.

Officials say Hernandez ran away from correctional officers who had brought him to a court hearing at the Kern County Superior Courthouse.

RELATED: Inmate in prison for murder escapes from custody in Delano

He had been in the custody of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation since 2019 after he was convicted of murder in Los Angeles County.

The officer who was killed is part of the "Gringo Hunters" team that's been featured in past ABC News coverage.

The team of officers based in Baja California Norte is responsible for tracking down and arresting foreigners, most of them wanted by U.S. authorities.

Stay with Action News for the latest updates on this developing story.