Mexican singer shot dead by her 79-year-old husband, had been trying to divorce him for months

Yrma Lydya, the 21-year-old singer who was gunned down by her 79-year-old lawyer husband, had been trying to divorce him for two months before he killed her inside a Mexico City restaurant.

Lydya was dining at Suntory, a Japanese restaurant in the Mexican capital’s neighborhood of Benito Juárez, when Jesús Hernández shot her inside a private room last Thursday.

Hernández and his bodyguard, Benjamin Hernández, were taken into custody at the restaurant as they attempted to flee. 

Jesús Hernández reportedly tried to bribe arresting police officers into letting him go.

Mexican singer Yrma Lydya, 21, was shot dead by her 79-year-old lawyer husband Jesús Hernández at a Mexico City restaurant last Thursday. Excelsior newspaper found that Lydya contacted a law firm that specializes in divorces in April, and provided them with photos of her bruised face due to beatings from Hernández.

Jesús Hernández, a 79-year-old lawyer, is escorted by the police after he shot dead his 21-year-old wife, folk music singer Yrma Lydya, at a restaurant in Mexico City on Thursday

Mexican newspaper Excelsior reported that the folk music artist approached a known Mexico City law firm in April about beginning the divorce process following a string of domestic violence incidents, providing photos of her bruised face as evidence.

Lydya filed a police report after Hernández beat her in December 2021. He had also threatened her with a gun on another occasion.

Despite the violent episodes, Lydya decided to give her marriage a second chance.

It’s unknown how long Lydya was married to Jesús Hernández.

Jesús Hernández (left) was arrested with his bodyguard Benjamin Hernández (right) after he shot dead his wife, Yrma Lydia, a 21-year-old Mexican folk music singer

Yrma Lydya had been scheduled to perform at a Glendale, California, concert on Saturday

Yrma Lydya, the 21-year-old singer was shot dead  by her 79-year-old lawyer husband, Jesús Hernández, at Mexico City restaurant last Thursday

Mexico City security chief Omar García Harfuch told Milenio news network that Jesús Hernández met with two people at the restaurant at 2pm Thursday. They left the restaurant around 6pm before Lydya arrived.

A witness told Univision news magazine Primer Impacto that Jesús Hernández shot Lydya at point blank range. The third shot he fired struck his wife’s head.

The person sought help from a police officer who was at the restaurant and were able to restrain the lawyer.

A witness told Univision news magazine Primer Impacto that Jesús Hernández (right) shot his wife Yrma Lydya at point blank range. The third shot he fired struck his wife’s head

Mexican singer Yrma Lydya, 21, was murdered by her husband, 79-year-old lawyer Jesús Hernández, at a restaurant in Mexico City

Lydya has been scheduled to perform at a Glendale, California, concert on Saturday. 

The show was part of Grandiosas 12, a series of concerts in Mexico and the United States that brings together well-known Central and South American singers.

Both Jesús Hernández and Benjamin Hernández made their initial court appearances Sunday and were ordered held in pretrial detention at a Mexico City prison while authorities continue the investigation.

Jesús Hernández’s request to be placed in home confinement because of his age was rejected by a judge at the hearing.

He pleaded not guilty and told the court he did not kill Lydya.

He is expected to appear in court Thursday.