The husband of El Paso city Rep. Cassandra Hernandez was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault after he allegedly threatened to kill a city employee while Hernandez was campaigning for mayor, court documents show.
Jeremy Martin Jordan, 36, was arrested in connection with an alleged Oct. 22 aggravated assault of city employee Rafael Alvarado, 33, at Hernandez's home in El Paso's Lower Valley.
Jeremy Martin Jordan
Jordan was booked into the El Paso County Jail on Nov. 8 on a $1,000 bond, jail records show. He was released the same day after posting bail, jail logs show.
Jordan is a well-known political consultant from El Paso and currently works as a managing director for RallyPoint Public Affairs, according to his LinkedIn page. Jordan was previously arrested in December 2015 on suspicion of assault causing bodily harm to a family member, his ex-common law wife, and criminal mischief. The charges were dismissed in April 2016.
Jordan could not immediately be reached for comment.
Hernandez represents El Paso's District 3, which includes parts of East El Paso and the Lower Valley. She was elected mayor in 2017. She ran unsuccessfully for mayor of El Paso in the 2024 general election. She finished in third place for the seat behind El Paso businessman Renard Johnson and West Side City Rep. Brian Kennedy.
Hernandez sent the El Paso Times a statement on behalf of herself and Jordan “regarding a personal matter impacting their family.”
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“They (Cassandra Hernandez and Jeremy Jordan) express their deep regret for the way this situation has affected their loved ones and are committed to working through it,” the statement read. “During this challenging time, they respectfully request that the public respect their privacy as they navigate and heal from this matter. No further comments will be made and no questions will be answered by the parties involved.”
Alvarado is a legislative tool for Hernandez, said El Paso city spokesperson Laura Cruz Acosta. The city is investigating the incident.
“We take these matters seriously and can confirm that we are conducting a thorough investigation into this incident,” Cruz Acosta said. “Since this is an ongoing process, the timeline for completion may vary. The city does not comment on ongoing investigations.”
Attempts to contact Alvarado for comment were unsuccessful.
Hernandez is not named in an affidavit regarding a criminal complaint filed in the case. She is referred to only as Jordan's wife, a witness and the homeowner. El Paso Central Appraisal District lists Hernandez as the sole homeowner of the property where the alleged assault occurred.
'I'm going to kill you'
The incident began around 2 p.m. on Oct. 22, when Alvarado arrived at Hernandez's home to “assist Hernandez with a scheduled interview,” according to an affidavit on a criminal complaint. Hernandez and Alvarado then sat down at a table in her backyard and began “phone banking,” calling on voters to discuss the 2024 election.
Hernandez told Alvarado to “'go to the back' with a concerned tone,” the affidavit said. Alvarado told police he didn't know what Hernandez was talking about until he saw Jordan walking toward Hernandez with an “angry look on his face,” the affidavit said.
El Paso mayoral candidate Cassandra Hernandez listens during a forum at El Paso Community College's Valle Verde campus on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. Hernandez was one of six mayoral candidates who came to the event.
Alvarado entered an apartment on Hernandez's property and hid in a bathroom. Jordan allegedly pushed the bathroom door open while Alvarado tried to force the door closed again. Alvarado locked the door, but Jordan broke the door open and pushed Alvarado to the floor of the shower, the affidavit alleges.
Alvarado fell on his left hip, causing “pain and discomfort,” the affidavit said. Jordan allegedly punched Alvarado repeatedly in the face. Alvarado tried to block the punches with his hands and forearms. Alvarado suffered injuries to his face, head, neck and hands.
“I'm going to kill you,” Jordan allegedly told Alvarado, the affidavit states.
Hernandez entered the bathroom and tried to separate Jordan from Alvarado. Hernandez yelled at Jordan to stop and leave, the affidavit said.
Jordan stopped “attacking” Alvarado and walked outside into the backyard, the affidavit said. Alvarado got up and tried to call 911 on his phone.
More: Candidate for Mayor of El Paso: Cassandra Hernandez
Jordan came back into the house and Alvarado hid in a room with a washing machine, the affidavit said. Alvarado tried to hide behind the washing machine when Jordan entered the room.
Alvarado told police that Jordan grabbed an oscillating fan and a piece of broken glass from an overturned table. Jordan began yelling at Alvarado while “holding the shard of glass in a threatening manner,” the affidavit said.
Alvarado walked to his car and tried to call 911, but Hernandez told him he had to go to the hospital. Alvarado and Hernandez attempted to leave, but Jordan's car blocked Alvarado's vehicle. After Jordan left, Hernandez drove Alvarado to the University Medical Center's East Campus.
Alvarado told police he was “afraid for his life” and wanted to press charges against Jordan. Alvarado suffered a cut on the inside of his left cheek and injuries to his head, neck, back and left hand. A doctor reported to police that Alvarado suffered a “concussion as a result of the attack,” according to the affidavit.
Cassandra Hernandez questioned by police, injured in alleged assault
Hernandez told police she saw Jordan walking toward the house, looking angry and “nodding his head,” according to the affidavit. Alvarado then ran into the apartment with Jordan chasing him.
She then saw Jordan punch Alvarado and tried to push through the men, the affidavit said. Hernandez told police she did not remember what Jordan or Alvarado said during the alleged attack.
Hernandez suffered an injury to her left forearm when she fell against the shower wall. She denied to police that Jordan had assaulted her, the affidavit said.
She claimed she saw Alvarado holding the oscillating fan to defend himself. Alvarado told Jordan, “If you come any closer, I will hit you,” Hernandez told police, according to the affidavit. Hernandez placed himself between Alvarado and Jordan until Jordan left the premises.
Hernandez told officers that Jordan found her in the home wearing “undergarments” and Alvarado was wearing a robe with only boxer shorts underneath the robe, the affidavit said.
She said she believed Jordan was angry because of the clothes she and Alvarado were wearing.
Jordan was interviewed by officers by telephone. He told officers “there was much more to the story and wanted to make a statement after meeting with his attorney,” according to the affidavit. Jordan added “that he was justified in self-defense, but did not provide details over the phone,” according to the affidavit.
Aaron Martinez can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter @AMartinezEPT.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: The husband of El Paso city Rep. Hernandez was arrested for aggravated assault
