need to know
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Costa Mesa resident dies after bitten by venomous rattlesnake
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Julian Hernandez’s family now opposes autopsy, says they deserve answers
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Unusually warm temperatures cause rattlesnake season to start earlier than normal in area
An Orange County man has died after being bitten by a venomous rattlesnake while mountain biking.
According to local media KTLA, Julian Hernandez from Costa Mesa was bitten while riding a mountain bike at the Quail Hill Trailhead at around 11 a.m. local time on February 1.
NBC affiliate KNBC-TV said Hernandez, an Eagle Scout, tried to ride his bicycle to safety after being bitten but was quickly overcome by the effects of the venom. Authorities who responded to the scene later transferred him to a hospital, where he fell into a coma and was placed in the intensive care unit.
Hernandez later died on March 4.
The coroner’s office determined Hernandez died from an animal bite. However, Hernandez’s family opted for a third-party autopsy, CBS affiliate KCAL-TV reported.
“We are not doctors. We are not lawyers. We are a family who gave their son to someone we trusted and never got him back,” organizer James Hernandez wrote in the description of the GoFundMe launched after Julian’s death.
“We have questions that deserve answers, and getting those answers will require a legal battle at a cost beyond what any normal family can afford,” James added. “We are raising these funds to get to the bottom of what happened to Julian and stand up for him.”
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According to the California Poison Control System, the number of rattlesnake exposure alarms peaks from April to October, when the weather warms and people spend more time outdoors.
However, experts say rattlesnake season is starting a little early in Orange County this year due to unseasonably high temperatures.
“It triggers their body and they want to be warm,” Mission Viejo Animal Services Manager Kyle Werner told KCAL-TV.
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