A youth soccer coach from the Los Angeles area is facing serious charges in connection with the death of a 13-year-old boy. Mario Edgardo Garcia Aquino, 43, has been charged with murder after the body of Oscar Omar Hernandez was discovered alongside a road in Oxnard. This tragic incident has raised concerns about Garcia Aquino’s past, as he was previously investigated for alleged misconduct involving minors.
Garcia Aquino was charged with murder with special circumstances related to Hernandez’s death. The boy’s family reported him missing on March 30 after he did not return home from a visit to Garcia Aquino’s residence in Lancaster. Just a day earlier, Hernandez had traveled to the Antelope Valley to see the coach. When the boy’s brother attempted to reach him, Garcia Aquino answered the phone, stating that Hernandez was busy.
Authorities later tracked Garcia Aquino’s movements using cell phone data, leading them to the area near McGrath State Beach, where Hernandez’s body was found. The cause of death has not been disclosed by investigators.
In addition to the murder charge, Garcia Aquino is also facing charges from earlier incidents. He was charged with assault with intent to commit rape stemming from a February 2024 incident involving a 16-year-old boy. Additionally, he was previously investigated by the LAPD for suspected sexual assault of a minor in 2022, but no charges were filed due to the alleged victim’s refusal to testify.
Garcia Aquino was a coach with the Hurricane Valley boys soccer club, where he worked with various age groups. The victims in these cases were reportedly connected to his coaching activities.
Law enforcement sources have indicated that Garcia Aquino may be an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has publicly condemned him, labeling him as an “illegal alien” who should not have been in the country.
As the case unfolds, many are left wondering how someone with such a troubling history could have continued to work with minors. Garcia Aquino has not yet entered a plea and has not commented publicly on the charges against him.