MONROE, N.C. — Officers with the Monroe Police Department shot and killed 33-year-old Fransico Javier Montes-Hernandez outside a residence after responding to an alleged burglary call around 10 p.m. on a Sunday.
While police stated an officer confronted an armed suspect and acted in self-defense, Montes-Hernandez’s family and friends are questioning the official account and demanding an investigation into the roommate who called authorities.
According to police accounts, an officer responded to a break-in report and encountered Montes-Hernandez outside the home, leading to a physical confrontation where the officer opened fire.
However, family members stated that Montes-Hernandez lived at the property and had permission to be there, disputing the claim that he was attempting to commit a burglary.
The incident began after Montes-Hernandez’s roommate received an alert from a home security camera system while away from the house.
The roommate then contacted police to report a burglary. Family members believe the roommate knew Montes-Hernandez lived at the home and was the person visible on the security alert.
Montes-Hernandez’s sister, Lucia Hernandez-Cruz, spoke from Mexico to call for an official inquiry into the roommate’s actions leading up to the shooting.
“We are demanding justice because what’s happening the homicide of my brother ... has not been properly investigated,” Hernandez-Cruz said.
She urged investigators to focus on the initial report, stating, “We want justice. We want them to investigate her because she was the first person involved in it before my brother lost his life.”
A friend of Montes-Hernandez, who asked not to be identified, described him as a dependable companion and questioned why the call was made to law enforcement. “He was a real good, respectful guy. He would help you if you needed help,” the friend said.
Regarding the decision to report a burglary, the friend added, “Do you blame her? I don’t necessarily blame her, but I think she should have thought twice about what she was doing because he was not a bad person and he would never in his life harm her.”
She stated that only the roommate knew the true reason for calling police, saying, “I can’t tell you why she called the police, why I don’t know, only she knows it.”
Security camera footage of the incident shows an outdoor struggle between the responding officer and Montes-Hernandez. On the recording, the officer can be heard giving multiple commands to drop a weapon.
However, the video was not clear enough to verify whether Montes-Hernandez was holding a firearm during the encounter. Neighbors indicated that they have not seen the roommate at the residence since the night of the shooting.
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
