A tragic incident unfolded in California when a 13-year-old boy named Oscar Omar Hernandez was allegedly murdered by his soccer coach, Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, an illegal migrant. The young boy’s body was later found dumped in a ditch, sparking shock and outrage in the community.
Oscar Omar Hernandez was last seen alive on March 28, leaving his home in Sun Valley to meet his soccer coach, Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino. However, he never returned home, prompting his family to report him missing two days later. His lifeless body was discovered alongside a road in Ventura County on April 2, revealing a heartbreaking end to his young life.
The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office revealed that Oscar Omar Hernandez died from acute ethanol intoxication, commonly known as alcohol poisoning. This shocking revelation added another layer of tragedy to the already devastating situation.
Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, who had been under investigation for two other alleged sexual assaults, was charged with the murder of Hernandez. The soccer coach faces a murder charge with the special circumstance allegation of committing the crime during lewd acts with a child, making him eligible for the death penalty.
Hernandez’s family recounted dropping him off at a train station in the San Fernando Valley so he could assist his coach in making soccer jerseys at his Lancaster home. The relationship between the coach and the young boy had developed through an after-school soccer program, where Garcia-Aquino had enlisted the help of other teammates in the past.
Despite assurances from Garcia-Aquino that he would drive Hernandez home the next morning, the boy never returned, leading to growing concern from his family. Phone calls went unanswered, with a suspicious response sent from Hernandez’s phone claiming he was going to a party. The unfolding events painted a disturbing picture of deceit and betrayal by the soccer coach.
Garcia-Aquino, who hails from El Salvador and is an illegal immigrant, faces additional charges related to a separate alleged sexual assault against a 16-year-old boy in Palmdale, as well as child sexual abuse charges from a previous case investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department in 2022.
The accused coach pleaded not guilty to the murder charges in June and is scheduled to appear in court again in August. The community remains in shock over the tragic loss of young Oscar Omar Hernandez and continues to demand justice for the senseless crime committed against him.
