Accused killers of Kyle Polk seek bail

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The two suspects charged with the death of Kyle Polk are seeking bail.

Javiar Fernando Hernandez, 20, and Ronald Clayton Rhodes, 31, are both being held on allegations that they murdered Polk in in December 2015.

A third suspect – Cynthia Anne Scholer – has yet to be arraigned on allegations of hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence.

Police have released very few details about the Dec. 16, 2015 death of Polk.

Officers responded to the report of a shooting at Southeast 112th Avenue and Division Street. Polk was suffering from traumatic injuries. Lifesaving efforts were not successful and he died at the scene, according to police.

Many of the court documents filed in the cases against Hernandez, Rhodes and Scholer have been sealed. The district attorney’s office fears witness intimidation. In previous cases, social media has been used by gang members to disseminate the police reports in homicide cases.

Hernandez, Rhodes and Scholer are all somehow affiliated with local gangs, according to police.

The bail hearing for Hernandez and Rhodes is scheduled to start Thursday morning.

Rhodes is also separately in federal court for an unrelated drug and weapons case. His trial in U.S. District Court is not scheduled to start until next month.

Hernandez and Rhodes have since pleaded not guilty to the indictments charging them with Polk’s murder.