News Summary

FAIRFIELD — Communication is proving to be an obstacle for police as they investigate the shooting deaths of two Hispanic men early Sunday in a parking lot near a popular nightclub on Dixie Highway.

There were several witnesses to the homicides and there may have been multiple gunmen involved, said Fairfield police Chief Michael Dickey. Police are interviewing the witnesses to try to sort out each individual's involvement, but with only one Spanish-speaking officer on the FPD, the language barrier has been a problem, Dickey said Sunday, July 13.

Yet, a possible suspect named Moses Hernandez has been identified, Local 12 WKRC reported late Sunday night.

The identities of the victims — believed to be in their 20s — have yet to be released. The Butler County Coroner's Office Sunday night was working to locate their families.

The killings also have some of the area's Hispanic residents worried about what they see as rising violence in their community.

Octavio Gonzales works as a disc jockey at Casa Tequila, near the parking lot where the men were shot.

He said in the past couple of years he's noticed an increase in the number of stories he hears about crimes committed by and against Hispanics. Gonzales had even taken up a collection earlier in the evening to help send the remains of another Hispanic man, who was killed in a Cincinnati shooting, back to Mexico for burial.

"This is new. Fairfield is a pretty quiet area," Gonzales said. "It really broke my heart this happened again, especially with Hispanic people."

Faifield police found the homicide victims with gunshot wounds to their heads outside an Arby's next to Casa Tequila at

2:14 a.m., according to police. One man was pronounced dead at the scene and a second was taken to Mercy Hospital Fairfield, where he later died, police said.

Gonzales had just finished his shift at Casa Tequila when his brother came in and told him there was a commotion next door. He knew one of the victims by reputation and had seen him in the club earlier that night.

"I know one of those guys was here," Gonzales said. "He was always fighting for no reason."

Gonzales didn't recall any fights at the club, where about 300 patrons had enjoyed themselves dancing, eating and drinking earlier in the evening.

"Everything was going normal," he said. "Everything was quiet."

The Fairfield Police Department and CrimeStoppers are offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information about the shooting. The department can be reached at (513) 829-8201.