[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Oscar Omar Hernandez‘s cause of death has been determined.
In case you didn’t hear the original heartbreaking story, the 13-year-old California boy went missing in late March after he was last reported to be hanging out with his soccer coach. His family immediately reported their son missing on March 28 to the Los Angeles Police Department. Just a few days later on April 2 they received the news no family wants to hear.
The teen’s body was discovered in a wooded area off of a road in Ventura County. So heartbreaking.
While investigating an unrelated assault charge, officers arrested the soccer coach on April 7. After Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino was taken into custody, the DA’s office eventually claimed he was guilty of “killing Oscar and then dumping his body” — and this wasn’t the only crime he was being accused of. He was said to have sexually assaulted the boy, as well.
Garcia-Aquino also racked up charges pretty quickly for other young boys claiming he assaulted them. The LAPD even said there could be more victims. Just awful…
As we await answers on his other charges, the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office has given us an update on how Oscar was killed. On Friday, multiple outlets reported the 13-year-old’s confirmed cause of death might not be what investigators were originally expecting — which we assume means violence, considering what happened to him. They say he actually died of alcohol poisoning.
According to the Medical Examiner, this discovery allowed investigators to officially rule his death a homicide. After all, we’re talking about a child. He shouldn’t have had any alcohol in his system.
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This poor family, we can’t imagine what they’re going through right now… In a press release, per the LA Times, the Hernandezes’ attorney Michael Carrillo said in a statement:
“The tragedy and trauma with the release of information continues for this family. First he was missing then he was found in a ditch and now they come to discover it was alcohol intoxication. It’s so many puzzle pieces that are coming together, but at the end of the day, [the Hernandez’s] son is gone forever.”
So heartbreaking.
The Hernandez family gave some more chilling details about the day their son disappeared to CBS News, as well. According to the victim’s sister, Alejandra, her brother said he was going over to his coach’s house to “help make soccer jerseys”. At one point, the teen’s family became concerned and tried to call him, to which Garcia-Aquino answered and stated the boy “couldn’t answer because his hands were full of paint”. Knowing what we know now, this is so suspicious…
The family also told the outlet the coach was “expected to drive him home the next morning” but he never did. They said they received a text from their son’s phone later on during the night, which simply read “I’m going to a party” followed up by a message stating he was in North Hollywood and didn’t want to be picked up.
On June 18, Garcia-Aquino pleaded not guilty. He’s due back in court sometime in August, where he’ll possibly face life without parole or the death penalty.
Such a horrifying situation. Our heart goes out to Oscar’s family and loved ones. May he get the justice he deserves.
R.I.P.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and would like to learn more about resources, consider checking out https://www.rainn.org/resources.
If you have sincere cause to suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org.
[Image via GoFundMe]
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