"He Would Never Return": Soccer Coach Charged in Murder of 13-Year-Old Boy

 

By Santa Clarita Star Staff

04/07/2025 at 9:30 PM

 

A Los Angeles youth soccer coach, Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, 43, was charged Monday with murdering 13-year-old Oscar 'Omar' Hernandez, whose body was found in Ventura County after he went missing in late March. Garcia-Aquino—who could face the death penalty or life without parole—is also accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy in a separate case, though California’s execution moratorium makes an actual execution unlikely.

 

 

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A youth soccer coach was charged Monday with killing a 13-year-old boy whose body was discovered in Ventura County weeks after he vanished, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced at a press conference. Standing beside him, the victim’s family appeared somber as Hochman detailed the allegations.

 

Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, 43, faces one count of murder with the special circumstance allegation of murder during the commission of lewd acts with a child, making him eligible for the death penalty. He is expected to be arraigned Tuesday in the Foltz Criminal Justice Center.

 

The victim, Oscar “Omar” Hernandez, was reported missing on March 30 after boarding a train to Lancaster to visit Garcia-Aquino and failing to return home. His body was later discovered on the side of a road in Oxnard.

 

“No parent should ever have to endure the unimaginable pain and sorrow of learning their child has been murdered,” Hochman said. “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 extent of the law.”

 

Garcia-Aquino also faces a separate felony charge of assault with intent to commit a sexual offense in connection with a February 22, 2024, incident involving a 16-year-old boy in Palmdale. If convicted in that case, he could face up to six years in prison.

 

Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell expressed condolences to Hernandez’s family and praised the collaborative efforts of law enforcement.

 

“While we all hoped for a different outcome, the tireless work of multiple agencies has ensured that this dangerous individual is off the streets,” McDonnell said. “We remain fully committed to pursuing justice for their son.”

 

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna echoed the sentiment, vowing to seek justice for victims and their families.

 

"If you may have been a victim, please come forward," Luna urged, saying that there may be more victims of Garcia-Aquino. "I know it's not easy. I know it could either be embarrasing, you don't want to tell somebody, but it's very important that we bring justice - not only to the family here to my left, but any families who may have been victimized."

 

Garcia-Aquino could face life in prison without parole or the death penalty if convicted. Prosecutors have not yet decided whether to seek capital punishment. Even if convicted of a capital offense, Garcia-Aquino is unlikely to face execution anytime soon. California has not carried out an execution since 2006, and Gov. Gavin Newsom halted the practice in 2019 through a moratorium, later dismantling San Quentin’s death row. Though the death penalty remains legal—and prosecutors can still seek it—the state’s 601 condemned inmates have been transferred to other prisons as part of a broader shift away from capital punishment. A 2011 study estimated the death penalty costs California $184 million annually, fueling debates over its future. If convicted, Garcia-Aquino would join hundreds of others awaiting an uncertain fate.

 

Deputy District Attorneys Paul Thompson and Negin Mostadim are prosecuting the case. Authorities urge anyone with additional information to contact the LAPD’s Juvenile Division at (818) 374-5415 or the Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victims Bureau at (877) 710-5273. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477 or lacrimestoppers.org.