Oscar Hernandez meets Coach Mario Garcia-Aquino while playing soccer at Whitsett Fields, who impresses Oscar with his skills. Garcia-Aquino invites Oscar to join the Huacane Club and offers him free one-on-one lessons, which excites the young boy.
Coach Garcia-Aquino contacts Oscar one Friday afternoon with an opportunity to make some money by helping with odd jobs at his Lancaster home. Without consulting his family, the eager 13-year-old boards a train from Whitsett Fields to Lancaster, a journey that takes two hours. Oscar reassures his brother Josue via FaceTime that the coach will drop him off at home the following morning.
Later that evening, Josue tries to reach Oscar but instead talks to Coach Garcia-Aquino, who claims Oscar cannot come to the phone as his hands are dirty. Josue inquires about Oscar’s return time, but the coach dismisses him, promising to bring Oscar back home at a reasonable hour on Saturday.
Saturday morning comes and goes, and Oscar still isn’t home. The teen isn’t answering his phone either. It’s already dark when the Hernandez family finally reaches Garcia-Aquino. The coach says he dropped Oscar off that afternoon in North Hollywood, but claims he can’t remember exactly where the boy got out of the car. The family prays Oscar will come home that night, but when he does not, they report him missing first thing Sunday morning.
Joining Nancy Grace today,
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[Feature Photo: Oscar Omar Hernandez/Handout]
