A 13-year-old, Oscar Omar Hernandez from the San Fernando Valley in California, was found dead on April 2, 2025, in a wooded area near a road in Oxnard, Ventura County, after going missing since March 30.
Oscar Omar Hernandez left behind his beloved parents, Daniel Hernandez and Gladis Bautista, his sister, Alejandra Hernandez, and his extended family.
His family reported him missing on March 30 after he didn’t come home from visiting someone he knew in Lancaster.
Oscar’s parents are devastated. His father, Daniel Hernandez, spoke about the last time they heard from the person Oscar was with; a man the family called his soccer coach.
Daniel said he called the coach, who told him he had dropped Oscar off “near” their house. But Oscar never made it home, so the family called the police.
The coach is now a person of interest in the investigation, but police haven’t said yet how Oscar died or how he ended up in Oxnard, far from home.
Oscar’s mother, Gladis Bautista, shared her pain with Telemundo 52, saying,
Justice, I ask that they do justice for my child.
Gladis Bautista
She described Oscar as a lovable boy who brought joy to their family, especially through his passion for soccer.
Likewise, Hernandez’s elder brother Jose also tried calling him on Saturday, but the coach answered and said Oscar couldn’t talk. After that, the phone was dead.
Oscar Omar Hernandez’s sister, Alejandra Hernandez, said,
My brother was one of those people that would greet anyone. He had no evil in his heart.
His classmate, Ashley Cruz, added, “He was only 13. He had a whole life ahead of him. He was very cheerful.”
Oscar was a friendly boy who loved soccer. He played regularly at Whitsett Park in North Hollywood and had moved to the United States from Honduras three years ago.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the FBI worked together to find Oscar. Detectives from the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division followed clues that led them to search an area off Harbor Boulevard in Oxnard, near McGrath State Beach.
There, they found a body that matched Oscar’s description. The Ventura County Coroner is still working to confirm it was him and to figure out how he died.
The police and FBI are still investigating, promising to follow every lead to find out what happened. LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said,
This is always a tragedy when we find someone of this age that is deceased. We promise that we are going to follow every lead.
We offer our condolences to Hernandez’s parents, siblings, friends, and extended family members.
