The Los Angeles area soccer coach charged with the murder of a 13-year-old player whose body was found in a ditch more than 70 miles from his home is reportedly an illegal migrant from El Salvador — who is also accused of sexually assaulting another teen boy.
Mario Edgardo Garcia Aquino, 43, was residing in the United States illegally when he allegedly killed teen Oscar Omar Hernandez, “multiple law enforcement sources” told Bill Melugin of Fox News.
Hernandez “was an innocent child who was exploited and killed by this depraved illegal alien who should have never been in this country,” Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told the outlet.
“Under President Trump and Secretary Noem’s leadership, child predators, pedophiles, and murderers will be hunted down and removed from America’s communities.”
The LA County Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office and Los Angeles Police Department have not officially confirmed Garcia Aquino’s immigration status, but unidentified sources also told the Los Angeles Times that the accused killer is in the country illegally.
Garcia Aquino was arrested by LAPD on April 2 on an unrelated warrant for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy in Palmdale on Feb. 22, 2024, LA District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Monday.
Hernandez had been missing for four days when investigators found his body in Ventura County — more than 70 miles from his family’s Lancaster home, police said.
The boy’s grieving family pointed the finger at Garcia Aquino, whom they trusted and said was with him the day Hernandez vanished.
The teen’s cause of death remains unknown, but Garcia Aquino was charged with one count of murder with the special circumstance allegation of murder during the commission or attempted commission of lewd acts with a child.
Police in California are searching for additional victims whom Garcia Aquino may have sexually assaulted after he was officially charged with Hernandez’s death.
In a Monday press conference, Hochman gave a timeline of the harrowing search for the teen.
On March 28, the 13-year-old went to see Garcia Aquino and boarded a Metrolink train to Palmdale to help the soccer coach at a complex.
However, when the teen didn’t return home that evening, his family began looking for him.
While searching for their loved one, Garcia Aquino had allegedly picked up Hernandez’s phone the day he was reported missing when his brother, Jose, tried to call and told him the teen was unavailable.
Later, the coach allegedly told Hernandez’s father that he had dropped the boy off “near” the family’s home — prompting them to contact police on March 30 and report him missing.
Investigators found the 13-year-old’s body in a wooded area of Ventura County two days later.
In the wake of the murder and the sexual assault charge from 2024, police are now urging any other potential victims whom Garcia Aquino may have targeted to step forward.
“There’s always a fear that there are more victims and we want to make sure we account for everybody out there,” LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said Monday.
“For some reason, anybody fears coming forward, even as a youth or a family, because you may be here undocumented, we’re not going to ask about that. Please, you need to come forward. We will assist you.”
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell also assured any other victims that any reports brought to them would be treated “as sensitively as it needs to be treated.”
Victims or anyone with information is asked to contact the Los Angeles Police Department at (818) 374-5415 or the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department at (877) 710-5273.
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