3 bodies found in search for US and Australian surfers missing in Mexico
Three bodies have been discovered in a Mexican tourist area where an American and two Australians are missing. CREDIT: Reuters
One of the suspects believed to be connected to the murders of two Australian brothers and an American, who were on a surfing trip in Mexico, allegedly admitted to his girlfriend that he killed all three, according to her.
During a court hearing on Wednesday, the BBC reported that Ari Gisel, the girlfriend of suspected killer Jesús Gerardo Garcia Cota, allegedly showed up at her house on April 28 and told her he did something to "three gringos." Gringo is a slang term used to describe English-speaking foreigners.
When she asked what he meant, Gisel stated that Garcia Cota said "I killed them."
In keeping with Mexican law, prosecutors identified him by his first name, Jesús Gerardo, alias "el Kekas," a slang word that means "quesadillas," or cheese tortillas.
MOTHER OF AUSTRALIAN SURFERS KILLED IN MEXICO DELIVERS TOUCHING EULOGY AT SAN DIEGO BEACH
Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, top left, and US citizen Jack Carter Rhoad, right. (Reuters)
After admitting to the crime, Garcia Cota reportedly took Gisel outside to show her his vehicle, which reportedly had the tires on it that were allegedly stolen from the victims' truck, Gisel explained in court.
Mexican authorities believe the surfers were all killed because thieves wanted the tires from their truck.
The three men, brothers Jake and Callum Robinson from Australia and American Jack Carter Rhoad, were on a camping and surfing trip along a stretch of coast south of the city of Ensenada when they went missing last weekend.
Chief state prosecutor María Elena Andrade Ramírez theorized the killers drove by and saw the foreigners' pickup truck and tents and wanted to steal their tires. But "when [the foreigners] came up and caught them, surely, they resisted."
Locals march to protest the disappearance of foreign surfers in Ensenada, Mexico, Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Karen Castaneda)
The thieves then allegedly went to what she called "a site that is extremely hard to get to" and allegedly dumped the bodies into a familiar well. A fourth body was also found inside the well.
Ramírez said investigators were not ruling out the possibility the same suspects also dumped the first, earlier body in the well as part of previous crimes.
All three bodies had a gunshot wound to the head, Reuters reported, citing a source from the attorney general's office.
The mother of the Robinson brothers delivered a moving tribute to her sons Tuesday at a beach in San Diego.
"Our hearts are broken, and the world has become a darker place for us," Debra Robinson said, fighting back tears. "They were young men enjoying their passion of surfing together."
FOURTH BODY FOUND IN SEARCH FOR US AND AUSTRALIAN SURFERS WHO MYSTERIOUSLY VANISHED IN MEXICO
In this image taken from video, Australia's Debra Robinson with her husband Martin, address the media on the beach in San Diego, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 following the deaths in Mexico of their two sons during a surfing trip. The sons, Callum and Jake, and U.S. friend Jack Carter Rhoad, were allegedly killed by car thieves in Baja California, across the border from San Diego, somewhere around April 28 or 29. (Channel 9/POOL via AP)
During her speech, Robinson noted that her son Jake loved surfing so much that, as a doctor, he liked to work in hospitals near the beach.
"Jake’s passion was surfing, and it was no coincidence that many of his hospitals that he worked in were close to surfing beaches," she said. "Live bigger, shine brighter, and love harder in their memory," she said.
Garcia Cota will be prosecuted for the crime of "disappearance committed by private individuals," and homicide charges are expected to be filed later, the BBC reported.
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The prosecution added that it is continuing to gather evidence in an effort to charge two other suspects, who remain in custody for alleged possession of methamphetamine.
Fox News Digital's Bradford Betz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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