Rep. Alma Hernandez calls out ‘wannabe journalists’ partaking in Guthrie investigation

PHOENIX — Following her series of X posts, Arizona State Rep. Alma Hernandez again called out the “so-called journalists” following the Nancy Guthrie investigation.

Hernandez, who represents Arizona’s 20th district, expressed on “CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield” she’s “extremely frustrated” with the true crime livestreamers and YouTubers who have flooded into Tucson as the Guthrie investigation enters its third week.

“They’re trying to find anything at this point to stay relevant and get the clicks on social media and it’s extremely frustrating,” Hernandez told CNN on Sunday.

“And I felt like I needed to call it out because every single day when I log on to social media … it’s a random ‘reporter’ if you want to call it that who’s saying, ‘Oh, I’m following FBI. I’m on the mission to go and find these individuals that they’re serving a warrant on,’ and I just think that’s extremely inappropriate.”

Hernandez told the creators to ‘GO HOME,’ in one of her X posts, which drew the ire of some individuals.

As someone who lives & represents Tucson/ Pima County, I am so sick of watching the “reporting” grifting, insane speculation, lies, and BS by random wannabe journalists and YouTubers who have now caused more harm than good to this entire situation and put this serious case in…

— (((Rep.Alma Hernandez))) (@almaforarizona) February 15, 2026

“I’ve been told everything from, ‘You go home! You’re not from here!’ Which I was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona,” Hernandez said. “I’ve had extremely racist remarks thrown at me for that.”

Hernandez said she stands by what she said, and it’s the individuals who call CNN and other outlets “fake news” who are upset and offended by what she said.

“I’m here to call out the fact that there are individuals who are taking advantage of a very, very sad situation and profiting off of it,” Hernandez said.

“I mean we have individuals who are just posting this on media and asking people to share it and follow them. It’s become a national sensation, of course, and it’s really sad that individuals are just not allowing things to kind of go the way that they should be going.”

Hernandez think some things could have been done differently and said the community at large is sharing her frustrations.

“I don’t think anyone enjoys in our community seeing that an individual who they got a tip saying that they are a suspect is now all over social media and everyone calling them the kidnapper, right?

“It is extremely disheartening and I think the community truly is just frustrated at the fact that there’s a lot of lack of answers,” Hernandez said. “We have individuals who are quite honestly just upset that they’re not hearing enough from the family, but I think these are very sensitive issues.

While acknowledging the complexity of the situation, Hernandez said the investigation should not be left to YouTubers.

“I don’t want to call them reporters because I don’t consider them that but they’re just taking advantage of the situation, and it’s really frustrating here in Tucson,” Hernandez said.

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