Tragic new details have emerged in the case of 13-year-old soccer standout Oscar Omar Hernandez, whose death in Los Angeles earlier this year shocked the community. Medical examiners have now confirmed the teen died from acute alcohol poisoning.
Hernandez was reported missing on March 30 after he failed to return home from visiting an acquaintance in Lancaster. Authorities later discovered his body near Leo Carrillo State Beach in Oxnard.
Shortly after the boy disappeared, his youth soccer coach, 34-year-old Mario Garcia-Aquino, was arrested and charged with murder. At the time, the cause of Hernandez’s death was unknown, and Garcia-Aquino was already facing a separate felony charge of assault with intent to commit a lewd act against a 16-year-old boy.
Following the autopsy report confirming alcohol poisoning as the cause of death, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman called the case “brutal” and “unspeakable.”
“These cases are tragic,” Hochman said at a press conference. “To the Hernandez family—you have our deepest sympathy for a loss that words cannot begin to describe. Our role now is to pursue justice and hold this individual accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Authorities say Hernandez traveled by Metrolink train to meet Garcia-Aquino the day he vanished. His death has since sparked outrage and heartbreak across the community.
Garcia-Aquino now faces life in prison without parole if convicted, and prosecutors have not ruled out seeking the death penalty.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna emphasized the seriousness of the investigation and urged potential victims or witnesses to come forward—assuring the public that immigration status would not be a factor.
“If you’re afraid to speak up because of your documentation status, please know we are not going to ask,” Luna said. “Whether you are a youth or a family member, we will support and protect you. This is about justice, not immigration.”
Authorities continue to investigate the possibility of additional victims and are encouraging anyone with information to contact law enforcement.
