Connect with us

San Diego, CA

Surfers' deaths in Mexico 'eerily' similar to San Diego couple's murders: 'Anyone can be killed for anything'

Published

on

Surfers' deaths in Mexico 'eerily' similar to San Diego couple's murders: 'Anyone can be killed for anything'


Join Fox News for access to this content

Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account – free of charge.

Please enter a valid email address.

By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. To access the content, check your email and follow the instructions provided.

Having trouble? Click here.

The case of three surfers killed in Mexico “is eerily similar” to the murders of a San Diego couple in the same Mexican state four years ago, a private investigator said. 

Advertisement

Jay Armes III, who specializes in kidnappings in Mexico and works cases all over the world, immediately remembered Ian Hirschsohn and Kathy Harvey, a couple in their 70s who were slain in their longtime vacation home in El Socorrito, a tiny beach town in Baja California. 

Their bodies were dumped down a well, just like Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, and American Jack Carter Rhoad, who were killed near Ensenada in Baja California during a carjacking over the weekend. 

“The story is they (the suspects) wanted the tires, not even the truck,” Armes said. “They burned the truck. That’s how little regard for life there is in these remote areas of Mexico. Anyone can be killed for anything.”

MEXICAN AUTHORITIES REVEAL BIZARRE REASON THEY BELIEVE AUSTRALIANS, AMERICAN WERE MURDERED ON SURFING VACATION

Jack Carter Rhoad, who was killed in a Mexican carjacking, was engaged to be wed to Natalie Weirtz this summer. (GoFundMe)

Advertisement

The San Diego couple were killed during a home invasion by a man who stole their bedding, according to a 2021 statement by Baja California Attorney General’s Office, which said they believed the burglar thought the home was empty. 

He was likely startled when he encountered Hirschsohn and Harvey before fatally stabbing them both and dumping their bodies, the Mexican prosecutor’s office said at the time. 

TRIPLE MURDER SUSPECT IN MEXICO SURFER DEATHS ALLEGEDLY CONFESSED TO GIRLFRIEND HE KILLED ‘3 GRINGOS’: REPORT

They were ultimately found in a well “in the middle of nowhere,” Hirschsohn’s daughter, Ava Setzer, told The San Diego Union Tribune in a January 2021 story. 

That case, Armes believes, was on the minds of Mexican authorities, as their search for the missing surfers included area wells along the country’s northwest coast. 

Advertisement

Australian brothers Callum Robinson, left, and Jake Robinson. (Reuters)

All three victims were found in a 50-foot well with gunshots to their heads, according to Mexican authorities. 

A fourth, unrelated victim – a woman whose name wasn’t released – was found with the U.S. and Australian victims. Prosecutors haven’t ruled out that the same suspects killed her. 

“I’m not taking away anything from good police work, but I think the idea to look in the well came from that case,” Armes told Fox News Digital. “At least they used their heads and made the effort to look. The extra body that was found was likely another one of their victims.”

FOURTH BODY FOUND IN SEARCH FOR US AND AUSTRALIAN SURFERS WHO MYSTERIOUSLY VANISHED IN MEXICO

Advertisement

Rhoad was slain just three months before he was going to tie the knot with his sweetheart, Natalie Weirtz, in August. Their wedding information was on Zola, which has since been taken down. 

“In the wake of the heartbreaking loss of Carter Rhoad, Callum Robinson and Jake Robinson, our hearts ache with grief for their families, friends and community,” Rhoad’s and Weirtz’s “close friend,” Aubrey Byers, wrote in a GoFundMe post. 

“Their presence brought immeasurable joy, love, and kindness to those around them, leaving a mark on our lives.”

A truck being used by the trio was found burned. (PR Image via Reuters Connect)

Armes said there are so many beautiful tourist attractions in Mexico, but many destinations are either brutally violent cartel battlegrounds, or remote areas where people “just vanish.”

Advertisement

“And most are never found,” Armes said. 

TROPICAL RESORTS POPULAR WITH AMERICANS NO LONGER ‘OFF LIMITS’ FOR CARTEL KILLERS: ‘THE RULES HAVE CHANGED’

The surfers went missing last weekend and were found within days, a turnaround that’s almost unheard of in Mexico, according to Armes. 

Three suspects were identified, and two are being held on drug charges after law enforcement allegedly found them in possession of meth.

WATCH: INTERVIEW WITH ONE OF SURFER’S FRIENDS

Advertisement

How quickly the dead surfers’ bodies were found sparked protests from locals and loved ones of the tens of thousands who are still missing. 

The Mexican government reported in March there were about 100,000 people missing, according to a report by The New York Times, but the United Nations believes that’s well under the real total. 

AMERICAN KIDNAPPED IN MEXICO, LEFT TO DIE IN JUNGLE WITH EYES, WRISTS TAPED

“It is very difficult, except for high-profile cases like the one that just happened, for the authorities to immediately trigger the search,” Adriana Jaén told The Times. 

Jaén, a Mexico-based sociologist who helps families missing loved ones, said cases like the missing surfers are essentially salt in the wounds. 

Advertisement

“The message those of us who work on these issues get is that there are lives that matter, and there are others that don’t,” she said. 

Locals march to protest the disappearance of foreign surfers in Ensenada, Mexico, Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Karen Castaneda)

Two male suspects were allegedly caught with methamphetamines, according to Mexican authorities, and are being held pending that case. A woman, one of the suspect’s girlfriends, is also a person of interest. 

She allegedly sold out her boyfriend, Jesús Gerardo Garcia Cota, in court on Wednesday, according to a report by the BBC. 

She said Garcia Cota allegedly showed up at her house on April 28 and told her that he killed “three gringos,” a slang term that describes English-speaking foreigners. 

Advertisement

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News’ Stepheny Price and Bradford Betz, as well as The Associated Press, contributed to this report. 



Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

San Diego, CA

Military bases in San Diego County increase security following Iran attacks

Published

on

Military bases in San Diego County increase security following Iran attacks


SAN DIEGO (CNS) – Military bases in San Diego County and nationwide have increased security measures due to last weekend’s U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, prompting traffic delays near base entrances, enhanced ID checks and access restrictions.

The Naval Air Station North Island on Coronado ports three aircraft carriers, including the San Diego-based USS Abraham Lincoln, which led some of the first-wave attacks on Saturday.

Naval Base Coronado warned motorists of possible traffic delays at all base entry points due to the increased security measures.

Targets included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and military airfields.

Advertisement

The U.S. operation, dubbed “Epic Fury,” and Israeli operation, “Raging Lion,” began striking targets at 1:15 a.m. Eastern Time Saturday.

As of Tuesday, at least six U.S. service members had been killed in action.

The strikes also killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, who had been Iran’s supreme leader since 1989, making him the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East.

Iran’s offensive forces claimed to have struck USS Abraham Lincoln with ballistic missiles, but according to an X post from U.S central Command, “The Lincoln was not hit. The missiles launched didn’t even come close. The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM’s relentless campaign to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime.”

Those with concerns regarding the heightened security can contact San Diego County’s Office of Emergency Services at 858-565-3490 or oes@sdcounty.ca.gov.

Advertisement

Copyright 2026, City News Service, Inc.





Source link

Continue Reading

San Diego, CA

SD Unified moves forward with layoffs of classified employees

Published

on

SD Unified moves forward with layoffs of classified employees


SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Less than 3 weeks after the San Diego Unified School District finalized a new contract with teachers, the school board voted unanimously on Tuesday to move forward with layoff notices for other district employees.

The layoffs affect classified employees — workers who are employed by the district but are not teachers and are not certified. That includes bus drivers, custodians, special education and teacher aides, and cafeteria workers.

The district says it is eliminating 221 positions — 133 that are currently filled and 88 that are vacant — to save $19 million and help address a projected $47 million deficit for the next fiscal year.

Preliminary layoff notices will go out on March 15, with final notices by May 15.

Advertisement

The district estimates about 200 classified employees will receive preliminary notices, but of them, about 70 are expected to lose their jobs based on union-negotiated bumping rules.

Bumping allows employees with more seniority to move into another position in the same classification, thereby “bumping” a less senior employee out of that role.

Lupe Murray, an early childhood special education parafacilitator with the district, said the news came as a shock after the teacher strike was called off.

“When the strike was called off, I’m like, ‘Yes!’ So then when I got the email from the Superintendent, I’m like, ‘Wait, what?’ So, I think everyone was shocked,” Murray said.

The district says it sends out annual layoff notices, as all districts in the state do.

Advertisement

Before Tuesday’s board meeting, classified employees rallied outside, made up of CSEA (California School Employees Association) Chapters OTBS 788, Paraeducators 759, and OSS 724. They were joined by parents, students, and the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO.

Miguel Arellano, a paraeducator independence facilitator with San Diego Unified and a representative of San Diego Paraeducators Cahpter 759.

“What do we want? No layoffs! When do we want it? Now!” the crowd chanted.

Arellano said he felt compelled to act when he learned about the potential layoffs.

“The first thing that went through my mind was that I need to speak up. I need to protect these people,” Arellano said.

Advertisement

Inside the meeting, the board heard emotional, at times tearful testimony from classified employees before voting unanimously to move forward with the layoff schedule.

Superintendent Fabi Bagula said the district has tried to protect classrooms from the cuts.

“We have tried our best to only, I mean, to not touch the school. Or the classroom. But now it’s at the point where it’s getting a little bit harder,” Bagula said. “What I’m still hoping, or what I’m still working toward, because we’re still in negotiations, is that we’re able to actually come to a win-win, where there’s positions and availability and maybe even promotions for folks that are impacted.”

Arellano warned the layoffs could have a direct impact on students.

“We are already spread thin, so, with more of a case load, it’s going to be impossible to be able to service all the students that we need to have,” Arellano said.

Advertisement

Follow ABC 10News Anchor Max Goldwasser on InstagramFacebook, and Twitter.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.





Source link

Continue Reading

San Diego, CA

Scripps Oceanography granted $15M for deep sea, glacier science

Published

on

Scripps Oceanography granted M for deep sea, glacier science


The Fund for Science and Technology, a new private foundation, granted Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego $15 million for ocean science Tuesday.

FFST, funded by the estate of the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, was started in 2025 with a commitment to invest at least $500 million over four years to “propel transformative science and technology for people and the planet.”

“Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego is pushing boundaries for exploration and discovery across the global ocean,” Chancellor Pradeep Khosla said. “This visionary support from the Fund for Science and Technology will enable Scripps researchers to advance our understanding of our planet, which has meaningful implications for communities around the world.”

The grant, the largest of its kind since Scripps joined UCSD in 1960, will go toward research in three areas: monitoring of environmental DNA and other biomolecules in marine ecosystems, adding to the Argo network of ocean observing robots, and enhancing the study of ocean conditions beneath Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier, often referred to as the “Doomsday Glacier.”

Advertisement

Scripps Institution of Oceanography has used Argo floats for more than two decades to track climate impacts in our oceans. NBC 7 meteorologist Greg Bledsoe reports.

“The Fund for Science and Technology was created to support transformational science in the search of answers to some of the planet’s most complex questions,” said Dr. Lynda Stuart, president and CEO at the fund. “Scripps has a long tradition of leadership at the frontiers of ocean and climate science, and this work builds on that legacy — strengthening the tools and insights needed to understand our environment at a truly global and unprecedented scale.”

Scripps Director Emeritus Margaret Leinen will use a portion of the grant in her analysis of eDNA — free-floating fragments of DNA shed by organisms into the environment — in understudied parts of the ocean to collect crucial baseline data on marine organisms, according to a statement from Scripps.

“In many regions, we know very little about the microbial communities that form the base of the ocean food web or that make deep sea ecosystems so unique,” Leinen said. “Without data, we can’t predict how these communities are going to respond to climate change or what the consequences might be. That’s a vulnerability — and this funding will help us begin to address it.”

Using autonomous samplers that can collect ocean water for eDNA analysis, as well as conventional sampling, scientists will use tools to “reveal the biology of the open ocean and polar regions.”

Advertisement

According to Scripps, the international Argo program has more than 4,000 floats that drift with currents and periodically dive to measure temperature, salinity and pressure. Standard floats can record data up to depths of 2,000 meters (6,560 feet), while newer Deep Argo floats can dive to 6,000 meters (19,685 feet).

The grant funding announced Tuesday will allow for Scripps to deploy around 50 Deep Argo floats along with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory.

Sarah Purkey, physical oceanographer at Scripps and Argo lead, said this leap forward in deep ocean monitoring comes at a crucial time because the deep sea has warmed faster than expected over the last two decades.

Thwaites Glacier is Antarctica’s largest collapsing glacier and contains enough ice to raise global sea level by roughly two feet if it were to collapse entirely. According to Scripps, prior expeditions led by scientist Jamin Greenbaum discovered anomalously warm water beneath the glacier’s ice shelf — contributing to melting from below. Greenbaum now seeks to collect water samples and other measurements from beneath Thwaites’ ice tongue to disentangle the drivers of its rapid melting.

This season’s Antarctic fieldwork will “test hypotheses about the drivers of Thwaites’ rapid melt with implications for sea-level rise projections,” the statement from Scripps said.

Advertisement

“The ocean holds answers to some of the most pressing questions about our planet’s future, but only if we can observe it,” said Meenakshi Wadhwa, director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography and vice chancellor for marine sciences at UCSD. “This historic grant will help ocean scientists bring new tools and approaches to parts of the ocean we’ve barely begun to explore.”



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending