REVEALED: California soccer coach accused of killing 13-year-old boy is illegal immigrant from El Salvador, faces death penalty

Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, 43, has been taken into custody on murder charges. Law enforcement has accused him of killing Oscar "Omar" Hernandez, who was a player on Garcia-Aquino's youth soccer team. He is being prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman told reporters at a press conference that Omar Hernandez traveled to Lancaster on March 28 to see Garcia-Aquino and never returned home. The victim's body was discovered in Oxnard off a road near Leo Carillo State Beach on April 2.

"No parent should ever have to endure the unimaginable pain and sorrow of learning their child has been murdered. Oscar simply boarded a train, and little did he or his family know that he would never return," said Hochman.

Garcia-Aquino has been charged with one count of murder with the special circumstance allegation of murder during the commission or attempted commission of lewd acts with a child. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. The charges also make him eligible for the death penalty, according to Hochman's office.

Additionally, the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office filed on Monday charges against Garcio-Aquino in a separate incident that occurred in Palmdale in February 2024. This includes one felony county of assault with the intent to commit a sexual offense. The alleged victim was a 16-year-old boy.

It's unclear when Garcio-Aquino unlawfully entered the United States. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News in a statement that Omar Hernandez "was an innocent child who was exploited and killed by this depraved illegal alien who should have never been in this country."

"Under President Trump and Secretary Noem's leadership, child predators, pedophiles, and murderers will be hunted down and removed from America's communities," said McLaughlin.

Furthermore, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said, "There is no excuse for these types of crimes. We will continue to pursue justice and work tirelessly to ensure we bring closure to the victims and their families, while ensuring that such individuals face the full extent of the law."

Garcia-Aquino was a youth travel soccer coach with the Hurricane Valley Boys Soccer Club in the Sylmar area, said Luna. He had no prior criminal history. Authorities are asking any potential victims to come forward to the Los Angeles Police Department's juvenile division abused child unit.