Showtime has announced the casting of Puerto Rican actress April Lee Hernandez as Miami Metro’s new detective on season 5 of its serial-killer series “Dexter.” Hernandez joins Julia Stiles, Maria Doyle Kennedy, and Shawn Hatosy as one of the show’s newest faces.

Hernandez, who reportedly refers to herself as a “strong Latina woman (translation: loud & hairy),” is best known for playing tough chick roles, such as that of Eva Benitez (pictured above) in the inner-city-high-school drama Freedom Writers.

In other words, she’s no Julie Benz. But, I wouldn’t worry. If Michelle Rodriguez can clean up this well, there’s hope that Hernandez will surprise us when the show returns in the fall.