Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has announced murder charges against Mario Edgardo Garcia Aquino, a 43-year-old soccer coach, in the death of 13-year-old Oscar Omar Hernandez, whose body was found last week in Ventura County.
According to a press conference, 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, making him eligible for the death penalty. He was also charged with one felony count of assault with the intent to commit a sexual offense after being accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy in Palmdale last year.
Police are asking that any additional victims or anyone with information call the LAPD’s Juvenile Division, Abused Child Unit at 818-374-5415, or the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victims Bureau at 877-710-5273 or if you wish to remain anonymous, by calling the Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
Hernandez was reported missing on March 30 after he failed to return home from a soccer practice in Palmdale. The boy’s body was discovered in a ditch in a wooded area in Oxnard on April 2.
Garcia Aquino, believed to be the last person to see Hernandez alive, was arrested last week… The Los Angeles Police Department, Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, and FBI collaborated on the investigation, which led to the discovery of Hernandez’s body over 60 miles from where he was last seen.
At a press conference today, Hochman said,
“No parent should ever have to endure the unimaginable pain and sorrow of learning their child has been murdered. Oscar simply boarded a train and little did he or his family know that he would never return. Sexual predators who target victims for their own gratification will be held accountable and prosecuted to the fullest extend of the law.”
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said,
“On behalf of the Los Angeles Police Department, I want to extend our deepest condolances to the family of Oscar Omar Hernandez. While we all hopes for a different outcome, the tireless work of multiple law enforcment agencies has ensured that this dangerous individual is off the streets and is no longer a threat to our children and our communities. While this may do little to ease the family’s pain, please know that we are fully ocmmitted to pursuing justice for their son.
LA county Sheriff Robert Luna said,
“There is no excuse for these types of crimes. We will continue to pursue justice and work tirelessly to ensure we bring closure to the victims and their families, while ensuring that such indificuals face the full extent of the law.”
Garcia Aquino is expected to be arraigned tomorrow at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center.
Hernandez’s mother, Gladys Bautista, described her son as a happy child who loved soccer and was looking forward to visiting family in Honduras. Friends and family held a vigil in his memory at the site where his body was found. The investigation into the cause of death is ongoing, with authorities yet to reveal the evidence that led them to the remote location.
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