San Diego, CA

Mother of Australian surfers killed in Mexico gives moving tribute to sons at a beach in San Diego

Published

2 years ago

May 8, 2024

Mother of Australian surfers killed in Mexico gives moving tribute to sons at a beach in San Diego

The mother of two Australian surfers killed in Mexico 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.”

Her sons, Callum and Jake, were allegedly killed by car thieves in Baja California, across the border from San Diego, somewhere around April 28 or 29.

Robinson also mourned the American who was killed with them, Jack Carter Rhoad.

The beachside location where she spoke, across the border from the Baja California city of Tijuana, was no coincidence. She noted that her son Callum “considered the United States his second home.”

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.

Choking back tears, Robinson conveyed a final message that coincided with her sons’ adventurous lifestyles.

“Live bigger, shine brighter, and love harder in their memory,” she said.

Robinson thanked Australian officials and supporters there and in the United States.

While she thanked Mexico’s ambassador to Australia, she notably did not thank the local officials in Baja California who eventually found the bodies of her sons and Carter Rhoad.

Their killers dumped the bodies of the men into a well about 4 miles away from where they had been attacked at a beachside campsite.

Investigators were surprised when, underneath the bodies of the three foreigners, a fourth body was found that had been there much longer. It was unclear if the body was related to the current case.

The fact that such killers are not caught or stopped in the overwhelming majority of cases in Mexico has led some Mexicans to protest that authorities only investigate such disappearances when they are high-profile cases involving foreigners.

Robinson said that her sons’ bodies, or their ashes, will eventually be taken back to Australia.

“Now it’s time to bring them home to families and friends,” she said. “And the ocean waits in Australia.”

Prosecutors have identified three people as potential suspects, two of whom were caught with methamphetamines.

One of them, a woman, had one of the victims’ cellphones when she was caught. Prosecutors said the two were being held pending drug charges but continue to be suspects in the killings.

A third man was arrested on charges of a crime equivalent to kidnapping, but that was before the bodies were found. It was unclear when or if he might face more charges.

The third man was believed to have directly participated in the killings. 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-filled tortillas.

He had a criminal record that included drug dealing, vehicle theft and domestic violence, and authorities said they were certain that more people were involved.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told a radio station in the Robinsons’ home town of Perth in Western Australia state that every parent felt for the family’s loss.

“I think the whole nation’s heart goes out to the parents of Callum and Jake Robinson. It is every parent’s worst nightmare to lose a son or a daughter.

To lose these two brothers is just awful and my deepest sympathies and condolences and I’m sure the whole nation’s with the parents and with the other family and friends of these two fine young Australians,” Albanese told Perth Radio 6PR.

Albanese said he was reminded of when his only child Nathan Albanese traveled last year at the age of 22 to a musical festival in Spain.

“You do worry, but you think as well that’s part of the Australian right of passage, is traveling around with a backpack and meeting people and it’s how you grow as a person as well so you want to encourage them,” Albanese said.

In 2015, two Australian surfers, Adam Coleman and Dean Lucas, were killed in western Sinaloa state, across the Gulf of California — also known as the Sea of Cortez — from the Baja peninsula.

Authorities said they were victims of highway bandits. Three suspects were arrested in that case.

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San Diego, CA

Daily Business Report: July 17, 2026, San Diego Metro Magazine

Published

6 hours ago

July 17, 2026

Press Room

Letter to the Editor: Apartment Vacancy Rates Paint an Incomplete Picture

By David Malcolm | Voice of San Diego

In last Saturday’s “Politics Report,” Will Huntsberry tackled the thorny issue of apartment vacancy rates (apparently the highest in this century) and the impact on affordability. He also correctly wrote that the city of San Diego needs “strategies beyond build, build, build.”

What’s Really Happening

My company owns and operates apartment rental complexes in San Diego County (San Marcos, Encinitas, La Jolla, El Cajon and South Bay) and in Temecula (Riverside County). Here is what we are seeing.

Base rents are stable … but offers of two months’ free rent are common. That is a de facto 16.7 percent reduction on annualized rents. Reducing base rents is not possible in the face of rent control measures and, even more importantly, bank loan covenants. Thus, concessions like two months’ free rent are not hard to find.

New study shows promising step forward in improving Parkinson’s treatment

by Nicole Abrams | Times of San Diego

A small molecule was found to increase the benefits and reduce the side effects of the standard drug for Parkinson’s disease, according to a new study from UC San Diego startup called Sinopia Biosciences.

L-dopa or levodopa is the main treatment for Parkinson’s disease, but its benefits wane over time and can cause involuntary movements called dyskinesia. About 90% of patients with Parkinson’s disease develop dyskinesia in 9 or more years of using L-dopa, and 70% develop motor fluctuations in 9 or more years of using the drug, according to the study.

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San Diego, CA

EXCLUSIVE: Ignition Press Welcomes eBay Live & Revenge Of to San Diego Comic-Con Ignition Pavilion

Published

18 hours ago

July 16, 2026

Press Room

The Ignition Press – Ignition Pavilion is leveling up in a big way for San Diego Comic-Con this year.

Following last year’s successful debut, Ignition Press is expanding its offsite with several major new partners, transforming the Ignition Pavilion into a hub for comics, collectibles, livestream shopping, food, and drinks. The free experience at the San Diego Wine & Culinary Center (200 Harbor Dr.) will now feature activations from eBay Live and Revenge Of, alongside the return of Seven Seas Roasting Company and several new fan experiences.

One of the biggest additions this year is a dedicated eBay Live selling lounge, where livestreams will broadcast throughout the convention, bringing Comic-Con to fans around the world.

Stop by throughout the week to find live sketches and signings with comic legends Bill Sienkiewicz (hosted by Big Clutch) and Jim Lee (hosted by ANZ Collects), while Storage Wars star Rene Nezhoda will showcase a rare PSA-pedigreed collection of vintage, Silver Age, and Bronze Age comics.

Fans can also tune in for the debut of an exclusive DC x eBay Live Absolute Batman & Absolute Catwoman connecting cover, shop signed Ignition Press SDCC exclusives, rare comics, and other collectibles, and catch appearances from fan-favorite creators and influencers throughout the weekend.

The Pavilion also welcomes Los Angeles lifestyle brand Revenge Of, making its San Diego Comic-Con debut with a curated comics and pop culture experience, while its sister company, FTB.Design, is handling the Pavilion’s production design.

“Both eBay Live and Revenge Of TV are going to give both fans onsite and at home the opportunity to get in on special programming and chances to get SDCC exclusive merchandise,” said Creative Director Jeremy Haun. “We’re doing something new, big, and different here at the Ignition Pavilion. You’re not going to want to miss it.”

Coffee lovers can once again grab a free drink from Seven Seas Roasting Company between 12pm-4pm, Thursday through Sunday, by signing up for the Ignition Insiders newsletter. The first 200 fans each day can redeem a voucher for coffee, espresso drinks, chai, or tea.

Later each afternoon (Thursday-Saturday, 5pm-7pm), the coffee bar transforms into the Ignition Pavilion Happy Hour, serving themed cocktails, beer, wine, mocktails, and complimentary drink tickets with qualifying purchases. Fans can also preorder a limited-edition bottle of Ignition Proof Rum, created in partnership with Los Angeles distillery The Obscure.

The Ignition Pavilion is free and open to the public at the following times:

Wednesday, July 22: 5:00pm-9:00pm
Thursday, July 23: 12:00pm-8:00pm
Friday, July 24: 12:00pm-8:00pm
Saturday, July 25: 12:00pm-8:00pm
Sunday, July 26: 12:00pm-6:00pm

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San Diego, CA

Karepango San Diego Comic-Con 2026 Debuts, Merchandise

Published

1 day ago

July 16, 2026

Press Room

Karepango San Diego Comic-Con 2026 Debuts, Merchandise

Karepango, the colorful and unapologetic brand that aims to bring a smile in the most unexpected time, is coming to Comic-Con to spread joy, and give attendees the chance to show the world they are imperfect, yet still proud.

Find them at booth #5034, located in the Hall G area of the convention center, and will have dozens of their classic bestsellers, recent products and even a brand new exclusive (and very limited) shirt.

All purchases will receive free gifts, with an extra special gift for purchases over $100.

All clothing is available in sizes XS through 2XL, but in limited quantities per size.

Let’s get shopping:

Have A Good Day Shirts – $48
Limited to 75 pieces
Purple or brown with front and back printing

100% Cotton Knit Sweaters – $88
Oversized and pre-shrunk