SoCal Youth Soccer Coach Charged in Murder of 13-Year-Old Boy

Suspect and Charges

• ⚽ Mario Garcia Aquino, a 43-year-old youth soccer coach, is being held without bail.
• ⚖️ He was scheduled for his first court appearance today in Downey, Los Angeles, but his arraignment has been postponed until April 30.
• 🚨 Aquino was arrested last week on suspicion of assault and murder.

Victim and Circumstances

• 💔 The victim is identified as 13-year-old Oscar Hernandez, who was murdered on the weekend of March 28 in Lancaster.
• 🏞️ His body was later found dumped in a ditch in Oxnard.
• 🏠 Oscar had gone to the coach's home with his parents that weekend to do some painting for payment, and never returned.

Additional Allegations and Legal Ramifications

• ⚠️ The case has special circumstances involving lewd acts with a child, making Mario Garcia Aquino eligible for the death penalty.
• 📅 He also faces charges connected to the alleged sexual assault of a 16-year-old boy in December 2022 in Simi Valley.
• 🔍 Investigators have been working on this case for over a year, and these additional charges are mounting against the accused.
• ❓ The brother of the murder victim, Jose Hernandez, was asked what to expect when the soccer coach finally appears in court, but offered no answer.