Police in California are trying to find further victims who a youth soccer coach might have sexually assaulted after he was formally charged with the loss of life of considered one of his 13-year-old gamers.
Mario Edgardo Garcia Aquino, 43, was charged with homicide for the loss of life of Oscar Omar Hernandez, Los Angeles County District Lawyer Nathan Hochman introduced in a press convention Monday.
Garcia Aquino was charged with one rely of homicide with the particular circumstance allegation of homicide in the course of the fee or tried fee of lewd acts with a baby.
The alleged youngster assassin is about to be arraigned on Tuesday in Los Angeles.
He’s going through a doable loss of life sentence or life in jail with out the potential for parole in connection to Hernandez’s loss of life, Hochman stated.
Garcia Aquino was arrested by Los Angeles police Wednesday, April 2, on an unrelated warrant for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy in Palmdale on February 22, 2024.
“The household subsequently filed a felony report with the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station alleging sexual abuse of their youngster,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna stated in the course of the press convention.
“This case was assigned to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division Particular Victims Bureau North group, who’s tasked with investigating bodily and sexual abuse of kids, together with grownup felonious sexual assaults.”
Luna stated that the LA Sheriff’s Division knowledgeable detectives with the LAPD of the sexual abuse allegations from 2024 when Garcia Aquino turned a suspect in Hernandez’s disappearance after which homicide.
On March 28, the 13-year-old went to see Garcia Aquino and boarded a Metrolink practice to Palmdale, California, to assist the soccer coach at a posh.
Nonetheless, when the teenager didn’t return residence that night, his household started searching for him.
Whereas trying to find their liked one, Garcia Aquino had allegedly picked up Hernandez’s cellphone the day he was reported lacking when his brother Jose tried to name and informed him the teenager was unavailable.
Later, the coach allegedly informed Hernandez’s father that he had dropped the boy off “close to” the household’s residence — prompting the household to contact police on March 30 and report him lacking.
Investigators discovered the 13-year-old’s physique in a wooded space of Ventura County two days later — greater than 70 miles from his household’s Lancaster residence, in response to Los Angeles police.
“No mother or father ought to ever need to endure the unimaginable ache and sorrow of studying their youngster has been murdered,” Hochman stated.
“Oscar merely boarded a practice and little did he or his household know that he would by no means return.”
His reason for loss of life remains to be unknown.
On Thursday, Hernandez’s household and associates held a vigil the place his physique was found, ABC 7 reported.
“He didn’t must be handled like an animal. That was my son,” the boy’s devastated mom, Gladys Bautista, informed the outlet.
Within the wake of the homicide of Hernandez and the sexual assault cost from 2024, police are actually urging every other victims who Garcia Aquino might have focused to return ahead.
“There’s at all times a concern that there are extra victims and we wish to be certain we account for everyone on the market,” Luna stated.
“For some purpose, anyone fears coming ahead, whilst a youth or a household, as a result of it’s possible you’ll be right here undocumented, we’re not going to ask about that. Please, you must come ahead. We are going to help you.”
LAPD Chief McDonnell additionally assured every other victims that any reviews dropped at them could be handled “as sensitively because it must be handled.”
Victims or anybody with info is requested to contact the Los Angeles Police Division at (818) 374-5415 or the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division at (877) 710-5273.
