Youth Soccer Coach Charged with Murder of 13-Year-Old Player

Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino faces murder charges with special circumstances and additional sexual assault allegations as authorities investigate further potential victims.

Oscar Omar Hernandez, 13, was found dead in Oxnard on April 2 after being reported missing on March 30; he was last seen boarding a train to visit his soccer coach in Lancaster.
Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, 43, has been charged with murder with special circumstances, making him eligible for the death penalty or life without parole if convicted.
Garcia-Aquino is also charged with a separate 2024 felony count of assault with intent to commit a lewd act against a 16-year-old boy in Palmdale.
Authorities are seeking additional potential victims of Garcia-Aquino and have urged anyone with information to come forward, regardless of immigration status.
The case has raised broader concerns about child exploitation in youth sports and the intersection of immigration policies and crime, as reports suggest Garcia-Aquino is an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador.