🚨 A Rio Grande City man was already under a protective order. Now he faces five charges. Police say he punched a woman in her 70s in the face while she slept. He took her truck. He also forced her into a vehicle, and used a tree trimmer as a threat.

The man is Lino Abel Hernandez, 41. Rio Grande City Police say the case happened over three days, from late July into early August. This is according to criminal complaints obtained by El Tejano.

📅 It started on July 30. The woman let Hernandez into her home. She fell asleep later. She was not sure if he had left.

👊 Things changed early the next morning, on July 31. Police say Hernandez hit her nose with a closed fist while she slept. The complaint says the hit made her nose bleed. It left bruises near her nose and eye. She is over 70 years old. Texas law treats this as a more serious crime because of her age. Hernandez is charged with Injury to an Elderly Individual. That is a third degree felony.

🚗 That same day, police say Hernandez took her white Ford truck. He did not have her permission. She asked for it back more than once. He would not give it back. That charge is Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle. It is a state jail felony.

😨 The worst charge is kidnapping. Officers went to check on her on July 31. They learned about a family violence incident. Police say Hernandez used, or threatened to use, a tree trimmer tool. He said he would hit her in the head with it. She was scared. She got into a truck with him. Police say he then drove her all over the city. She did not want to go. Kidnapping is a third degree felony in Texas.

📵 Here is the part that stands out. Hernandez was already under a protective order. A judge signed that order back on June 6. It was meant to keep him away from her. Police say he kept calling her cell phone anyway. This happened on August 1. An officer was in her home at the time, following up on the case. The call was caught on the officer's body camera. That is a separate charge: Violation of a Protective Order. It is a Class A misdemeanor.

📍 Police charged him with a second violation of that same order too. This one was for going near her home on July 31.

In total, Hernandez faces five charges. The case number is 26-07-00277 with Rio Grande City police. The charges are injury to an elderly person, two counts of violating a protective order, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and kidnapping. If convicted on the felony charges, he could face years in state prison.

⚖️ Protective orders exist for a reason. They create real legal trouble when someone will not stop contacting a person. This case shows what can happen when a protective order is ignored again and again.

El Tejano got these complaints through a Starr County public records request. His case is still pending in court. He has not been convicted of anything. Every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

📍 Rio Grande City, Texas 🗓️ July 30 to August 1, 2026