A 43-year-old illegal alien from El Salvador accused [1] of sexually abusing and murdering 13-year-old Oscar Omar Hernandez was described by the Los Angeles Times in a recent report not as an illegal alien or murder suspect, but primarily as a “youth soccer coach.”
The article, published under the headline “Teen allegedly killed by soccer coach died of acute alcohol poisoning, family’s attorney says,” was written by reporters Seema Mehta and James Queally.
Teen allegedly killed by soccer coach died of acute alcohol poisoning, family’s attorney says https://t.co/jFylFxkpM0 [2]
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) June 30, 2025 [3]
Throughout the piece, the suspect, Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, is referred to as a “soccer coach” four separate times.
Nowhere in the article is it stated that Garcia-Aquino is an illegal alien residing in the sanctuary state of California.
Oh hey @LATSeema [4] and @JamesQueallyLAT [5] why did you not mention that the suspect is here illegally? Both of your timelines are full of “horror” stories about @ICEgov [6] so I guess his status didn’t fit your narrative. Thought @DrPatSoonShiong [7] was interested in facts, guess not. pic.twitter.com/ETvGkFepUl [8]
— Rosie Memos (@almostjingo) June 30, 2025 [9]
The Times article recounts the case involving the 13-year-old victim, who reportedly traveled by train to Lancaster, California, in late March to visit Garcia-Aquino, who coached with the Hurricane Valley boys soccer club in Sylmar.
According to the article: “Omar took a train to the Antelope Valley in late March to visit Garcia Aquino, a youth travel soccer coach with the Hurricane Valley boys soccer club in the Sylmar area, at his Lancaster home. When Omar failed to return home, his family reported him missing. Los Angeles Police Department homicide detectives, working in tandem with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, found his body in a roadside ditch in Oxnard in early April.”
Following the discovery of Hernandez’s body, Garcia-Aquino was arrested and later charged by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Charges include the sexual abuse and murder of the teenager. The suspect allegedly left Hernandez’s body near a road in Ventura County.
NEW UPDATE: Cause of death released for 13-year-old Oscar “Omar” Hernandez who was brutally raped & killed in Los Angeles by 43-year-old Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, an illegal alien from El Salvador, harbored by Gavin Newsom in the Sanctuary State of California. https://t.co/9l1Hu2vVPO [10] pic.twitter.com/zZlRn6DOJv [11]
— Dapper Detective (@Dapper_Det) June 29, 2025 [12]
In a statement to NBC Los Angeles in April, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli criticized the state’s sanctuary policies and federal immigration enforcement failures, saying the tragedy could have been avoided.
“This was an avoidable crime and the result of failed border policies,” Essayli said.
“We cannot and will not tolerate illegal aliens who flout our nation’s immigration laws, then prey on children. Federal law enforcement will continue to be very aggressive in locating, apprehending, and prosecuting criminal illegal aliens.”
According to an attorney representing Hernandez’s family, new information released this week indicates that the boy died from acute alcohol poisoning.
This revelation follows earlier reports pointing to a broader pattern of alleged abuse.
Since Garcia-Aquino’s arrest, additional alleged victims have come forward.
One individual stated he was just 16 years old when Garcia-Aquino allegedly sexually assaulted him.
Garcia-Aquino remains in custody while legal proceedings continue.
If convicted, he could face the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The case has sparked renewed scrutiny of California’s sanctuary state policies and the national debate over immigration enforcement.
No additional comment has been issued by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office or the FBI at this time.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times continues to receive criticism for omitting Garcia-Aquino’s immigration status from its coverage, despite the relevance of the issue in a high-profile murder case involving a minor and multiple federal agencies.