Their case was tragic, troubling and historic. In 2011 Cristian Fernandez, standing barely 5 feet tall at 12 years old, beat his toddler half-brother so severely that he spent two days on life support before dying.
He would become the youngest person in Jacksonville history charged with first-degree murder. His mother, who gave birth to him at 12 years old herself, also faced charges. A who’s who team of attorneys for both sides agreed Fernandez could plead to lesser charges to allow him to be sentenced under juvenile sanctions and released when he turned 19. Mother Biannela Susana, who neglected to get her dying son to a hospital sooner and covered up past violence, also avoided a prison sentence after being credited for two years and four months
of time served and put on probation.
Today they are both back in trouble with the law, and both had court appearances scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 1, for separate cases in St. Johns County. However, Fernandez’s pre-trial hearing was pushed back to Sept. 29.
What became of Cristian Fernandez?
Fernandez, now 27 with the same address as his mother in St. Augustine, was scheduled for a Sept. 1 pretrial hearing for his Nov. 22, 2025, charges of resisting an officer with violence and two counts of battery on an officer. It occurred at about 11 a.m. at the RaceTrac gas station at 2838 W. County Road 210.
His St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office arrest report states that deputies were called to the gas station for a physical altercation involving two men. They were advised one was in the bathroom stall. Deputies announced their presence to investigate the incident and talk with him.
They gave multiple commands to unlock the door and exit the stall, but he replied he was using the restroom. However, deputies could hear him moving around, including footsteps, a zipper on a bag being opened and closed and items being moved, according to the report.
“After several repeated commands were ignored, I kicked the stall door open,” the deputy wrote in the report. “The defendant was seated on the toilet, fully dressed, but remained noncompliant. As I approached, I observed the defendant's body tense, and his hands were clenched. When I attempted to take hold of the defendant and escort him out, he pulled away. Other deputies approached to assist shortly, but the defendant continued to resist verbal and physical attempts to gain compliance.
“Deputies and the defendant went to the ground as other deputies attempted to secure him,” the report continued. “The defendant refused repeated commands to place his hands behind his back. At this time, a deputy deployed a Taser, after which the defendant became compliant. The defendant was then placed into handcuffs and escorted to a patrol vehicle for evaluation by rescue personnel.
“During the medical evaluation, the defendant again became irate and physically resistant,” it continued. “He jumped out of the vehicle, spitting and kicking at deputies. The defendant also started to hit his head on a concrete sidewalk; however, deputies then secured the head to avoid an injury. The defendant was subdued, and his legs were secured with a hobble device to prevent further escalation. A spit-hood mask was applied for officer safety due to continued spitting behavior.”
A corporal required medical assistance for being kicked multiple times, according to the report. Fernandez also was transported to Flagler Hospital for medical clearance before being jailed.
What became of Biannela Susana?
Meanwhile his mother Susana, now 40, was charged on Jan. 17 with driving under the influence of alcohol, second offense outside of five years — she had a DUI around the same time in 2019 in Jacksonville — and refusal to submit DUI testing in St. Johns County.
Court records show she pleaded no contest on Jan. 28 and was sentenced to one day in jail time served and a restricted driver’s license with an interlocking device for one year and suspended for six months as well as a year probation and additional conditions.
Susana was then charged with violating those conditions in March by driving with a suspended license. On Sept. 1 during sentencing, her probation was reinstated to include 15 days in jail to be served on consecutive weekends
Her arrest report stated the DUI occurred after 2 a.m. at Nature Walk Parkway and County Road 210 when her Mercedes sedan was observed on the bicycle path and weaving in and out of two lanes.
After pulling her over, the deputy could smell alcohol emitting from her car, in which she was the lone occupant. She also had “red, watery, glassy eyes and slurred speech,” according to the report.
“Upon asking the defendant for her driver’s license, registration and proof of insurance, the defendant struggled in her dexterity when retrieving the items and had to be reminded approximately three times for all documentation,” the report said.
When asked where she was coming from, she advised she was in St. Augustine celebrating her birthday at Stogies bar. Susana also stated she had one alcoholic beverage while there.
“After asking the defendant to exit the vehicle, I could smell the odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from her breath as she spoke,” the deputy wrote in the report. “The defendant appeared unsteady on her feet when she exited the vehicle, even using her vehicle for balance.”
Susana agreed to perform some Standardized Field Sobriety Exercises but did poorly on them. She refused to submit to a breath test to determine alcohol content or the presence of chemical or controlled substances. She was informed that the refusal would result in the suspension of her driving privilege for a year up to 18 months and a misdemeanor charge.
Scott Butler has been an editor/reporter specializing in public safety coverage for 26 years with The Florida Times-Union. He can be reached at sbutler@jacksonville.com.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Years later, Cristian Fernandez and mother are in legal trouble again
