Victor M. Hernandez Medina

Victor M. Hernandez Medina was a 23 year old man from Sandwich, Illinois, whose life was cut short in a violent crash in the neighboring city of Yorkville. He was not a public figure before his death, and he became known to a wide audience only through the tragic and violent circumstances that ended his life. Those who spoke about him afterward described him as a father, a brother, a cousin, and a cherished member of his family.

On the evening of Sunday, September 20, 2026, Hernandez Medina and a second adult had arranged to meet a man in the parking lot of a Planet Fitness in the 300 block of East Veterans Parkway in Yorkville, Illinois. Police said the meeting was for a transaction involving marijuana. According to Yorkville police, shortly after the parties met there was a brief altercation, and the driver of a vehicle left the scene before returning and striking both pedestrians, in what investigators described as an intentional act rather than an accident. Officers who responded around 5:13 p.m. found Hernandez Medina and the second victim with serious injuries.

Hernandez Medina was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The second person struck by the vehicle was treated for injuries that were not life threatening. A vehicle matching the description of the one involved was located a short time later in Oswego, Illinois, along with its driver, who was taken into custody.

The driver, identified by police as 21 year old Jacob T. Lestina of Oswego, was subsequently charged with three felony counts of first degree murder, one felony count of attempted first degree murder, failure to report an accident involving personal injury or death, and aggravated battery. Investigators said Lestina drove away from the initial confrontation before returning and striking Hernandez Medina and the second victim on multiple attempts. He remains in custody at the Kendall County Jail as of this writing.

Yorkville Deputy Police Chief Garret Carlyle told reporters that intentional vehicular attacks of this kind are rare for the department, calling the incident sad and unusual. The Kendall County Major Crimes Taskforce and the Illinois State Police joined Yorkville police in investigating the case. In the days after his death, Hernandez Medina's family started an online fundraiser to help cover funeral expenses, describing him in the campaign as a loving father, brother, cousin, and cherished member of the family. No further biographical details about his upbringing, education, or work have yet been made public, and this page will be updated as more verified information becomes available.