Funeral held for 13-year-old boy found murdered in Ventura County

Friends and family members held a funeral service Saturday to honor the 13-year-old boy who was found murdered in Ventura County.

Loved ones gathered at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church to honor Oscar Omar Hernandez, who was found murdered on April 2. 

Mario Edgardo Garcia Aquino, 43, a traveling soccer coach with the Hurricane Valley boys soccer club near Sylmar, was charged in connection to Hernandez’s death. 

Hernandez’s family reported him missing on March 30 after he failed to return home. They’ve repeatedly claimed that Garcia Aquino was the last person to see him alive after the boy took a train to visit the man’s Antelope Valley home when he disappeared.

Hernandez had planned to earn extra money by helping the coach paint soccer jerseys, his family said. But when his family called his cell phone, the coach reportedly answered and said Hernandez was too busy to talk.

The family contacted law enforcement and three days later on April 2, the boy’s body was discovered in a ditch in a wooded area off an Oxnard road.

Garcia Aquino has also been charged in a separate sexual abuse case involving a 16-year-old boy in a February 2024 incident, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. 

On April 7, he was charged with assault with intent to commit rape involving the 16-year-old, court documents said. 

He was also the subject of a Los Angeles Police Department investigation into the suspected sexual assault of a minor in 2022 but wasn’t charged because the alleged victim declined to testify against him, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Both victims were allegedly connected to Garcia Aquino’s soccer coaching, the Times said.

On Saturday, April 12, Hernandez’s family and loved ones gathered for his funeral service. The boy’s mother was overwhelmed with grief and nearly fainted when she approached his casket.

“It’s just crazy how he could be a soccer coach, coaching all these little kids, when in reality he had this whole backstory,” said Andrew Barrios, Hernandez’s friend. “It’s heartbreaking seeing your friend in a casket.”

Hernandez was a 7th grade student at Sun Valley Magnet School and was an excellent soccer player, his friends said. His family moved to the U.S. from Honduras just three years ago. 

He first met Garcia Aquino at the Valley Plaza Sports Complex in North Hollywood, according to this family.

Garcia-Aquino was charged with murder with special circumstances — lewd acts with a child. He could face the death penalty. He is also an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, multiple law enforcement officials told the L.A. Times anonymously.

The boy’s family wants justice for his death. At a candlelight vigil on April 4, his grieving mother said in Spanish that, “Perhaps my son gave his life for others to be exposed.”

The family released a statement on the boy’s death saying, “We are devastated by the unimaginable loss of our beloved son Oscar Omar Hernandez Bautista. His bright spirit and love for soccer brought joy to everyone who knew him. We are heartbroken that someone entrusted with his care could commit such a horrific act.“

Garcia Aquino is scheduled to appear in court on April 30. Investigators believe more victims may be out there. 

“There’s always a fear that there are more victims and we want to make sure we account for everybody out there,” said L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna.

Anyone with information on the suspect or the case is asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department at 213-229-1700.