The soccer coach accused of killing a 13-year-old boy whose body was found in ditch in Ventura County last week is an undocumented immigrant who was previously accused of sexually assaulting minors, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Mario Edgardo Garcia Aquino, 43, has been charged in the death of 13-year-old Oscar Omar Hernandez, whose body was found in a ditch in a densely wooded area in Oxnard last week.
Garcia Aquino, a coach with the Hurricane Valley boys soccer club near Sylmar, is an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, multiple officials told the Times anonymously.
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Oscar Hernandez, 13, is seen in this undated photo. (Alejandra Hernandez) -
Oscar Omar Hernandez, 13, a resident of the San Fernando Valley seen in this undated photo. (Alejandra Hernandez) -
The boy’s mother, Gladys Maribel Bautista, speaks to KTLA during a candlelight vigil held to honor Oscar Hernandez outside her Sun Valley home on April 4, 2025. (KTLA) -
The boy’s mother, Gladys Maribel Bautista, (right) is comforted by a loved one during a candlelight vigil held to honor Oscar Hernandez in Sun Valley on April 4, 2025. (KTLA)
Additionally, he had already been investigated or was under investigation by the Los Angeles Police and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s departments for the alleged sexual abuse of boys.
Officials believe the killing of Hernandez was also related to attempted sexual assault, as “the charges against Garcia Aquino include a special circumstance allegation of murder during the commission or attempted commission of lewd acts with a child,” the Times reports.
That allegation makes Garcia Aquino eligible for the death penalty, something L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman recently said his office will once again pursue in some cases.
