Body found in Oxnard believed to be that of missing 13-year-old, police say
Law enforcement officials have found a body in Oxnard that matches the description of a 13-year-old boy who failed to return home after visiting an acquaintance in Lancaster, authorities said.
Oscar Omar Hernandez was reported missing by his family on Sunday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. LAPD homicide detectives assumed the lead in the investigation Tuesday and found information that led them to an area of interest in the city of Oxnard.
The LAPD led a foot search of the area alongside members of the FBI and discovered a body matching the description of the missing teen, police said.
The identity of the body has not been officially confirmed, and the cause of death is yet to be determined, police said.
A spokesperson for the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said that law enforcement's search for the boy was concentrated in the McGrath State Beach area.
LAPD detectives are continuing to investigate the cause of death and identify anyone who may be involved or possess information relevant to this investigation.
This is a developing story.
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
British national pleads guilty to defrauding homeowners
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A British national accused of scamming homeowners in three states pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges Thursday in Providence as part of a plea agreement. Elijah Gavin, 29, faces a maximum sentence of 70 years in prison and a fine of up to $1.2 million. The U.S. Attorney's Office says Gavin was one of what the FBI calls Conmen Travelers, which are groups of Irish or U.K. nationals who swindle homeowners in a contracting scheme. Feds warn homeowners of 'traveling conman' scheme Court documents say Gavin claimed he was a contractor and used different aliases like 'Simon Kelly' and 'Timothy O'Reilly' to defraud homeowners in three states, including Rhode Island, where he targeted a 78-year-old widow. According to those documents, the woman paid Gavin more than $850,000 in separate checks for work he performed on the foundation and roof of her home in 2023. She later called police after her bank flagged a wire transfer Gavin had requested, saying his account 'dealt with Bitcoin or cryptocurrencies' and was not a construction company. Investigators used surveillance video of Gavin depositing money at a Providence ATM and a mugshot published by a U.K. news outlet to identify him. Upon seeing the booking photo, the victim reportedly pointed to the laptop and said, 'That's Tim!' Police took Gavin into custody in February. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland has had him listed as 'unlawfully at large' since 2022, when he went on the lam after being convicted of a number of offenses, including burglary, bodily harm and drug possession. Interview: Irish journalist on 'Traveling Conman Fraud' The plea agreement notes that Gavin may have the option to transfer his sentence abroad through the international prisoner transfer program. He is scheduled to be sentenced in September. Target 12 reached out to his attorney for a comment, but hasn't heard back. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
Authorities hunt for suspect in shooting of 2 Minnesota state lawmakers
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — A massive search stretched into its second day Sunday for a man who authorities say wore a mask and posed as a police officer while fatally shooting a Democratic state lawmaker in her suburban Minneapolis home, an act Gov. Tim Walz called 'a politically motivated assassination.' Authorities said the suspect also shot and wounded a second lawmaker and was trying to flee the area. Former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in their Brooklyn Park home early Saturday. Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, were injured at their Champlin address, about nine miles away. Authorities identified the suspect as 57-year-old Vance Boelter, and the FBI issued a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction. They shared a photo taken Saturday of Boelter wearing a tan cowboy hat and asked the public to report sightings. Hundreds of law enforcement officers fanned out in the search. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota said Sunday that authorities believe the shooter hasn't gone far. 'We believe he's somewhere in the vicinity and that they are going to find him,' the Democrat said Sunday on NBC's 'Meet the Press.' 'But right now, everyone's on edge here, because we know that this man will kill at a second.' Authorities had not yet given any details on a possible motive. Boelter is a former political appointee who served on the same state workforce development board as Hoffman, records show, though it was not clear whether or how well they knew each other. The attacks prompted warnings to other state elected officials and the cancellation of planned 'No Kings' demonstrations against President Trump in Minnesota, though some went ahead anyway, including one that drew tens of thousands to the state Capitol in St. Paul. Authorities said the suspect had 'No Kings' fliers in his car and writings mentioning the names of the victims as well as other lawmakers and officials, though they could not say whether he had any other specific targets. A Minnesota official told AP the suspect's writings also contained information targeting prominent lawmakers who have been outspoken in favor of abortion rights. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. Law enforcement agents recovered several AK-style firearms from the suspect's vehicle, and he was believed to still be armed with a pistol, a person familiar with the matter told AP. The person could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity. The shootings happened at a time when political leaders nationwide have been attacked, harassed and intimidated amid deep ideological divisions. 'We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence,' said Walz, a Democrat. He also ordered flags to fly at half-staff in Hortman's honor. 'Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!' President Trump said in a statement hours after the attack. Police responded to reports of gunfire at the Hoffmans' home shortly after 2 a.m., Champlin police said, and found the couple with multiple gunshot wounds. After seeing who the victims were, police sent officers to proactively check on Hortman's home. There they encountered what appeared to be a police vehicle and a man dressed as an officer at the door, leaving the house, authorities said. 'When officers confronted him, the individual immediately fired upon the officers, who exchanged gunfire, and the suspect retreated back into the home' and escaped on foot, Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said. Authorities believe the shooter was wearing a mask when carrying out the attacks, according to a law enforcement official. The FBI released photos of the suspect including an image that appears to show him wearing a mask that covered his face and head, a police uniform, and holding a flashlight. Bullet holes could be seen in the front door of the Hoffmans' home. John and Yvette Hoffman each underwent surgery, according to Walz. Hortman, 55, had been the top Democratic leader in the state House since 2017. She led Democrats in a three-week walkout at the beginning of this year's session in a power struggle with Republicans. Under a power-sharing agreement, she turned the gavel over to Republican Rep. Lisa Demuth and assumed the title speaker emerita. Hortman used her position as speaker in 2023 to champion expanded protections for abortion rights, including legislation to solidify Minnesota's status as a refuge for patients from restrictive states who travel there to seek abortions — and to protect providers who serve them. Walz called her a 'formidable public servant, a fixture and a giant in Minnesota.' Hortman and her husband had two adult children. The initial autopsy reports from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office gave their cause of death as 'multiple gunshot wounds.' The reports said Melissa Hortman died at the scene, while her husband was pronounced dead at the hospital. Hoffman, 60, was first elected in 2012 and is chair of the Senate Human Services Committee, which oversees one of the biggest parts of the state budget. He and his wife have one daughter. Boelter was appointed to the workforce development board in 2016 and reappointed in 2019 to a four-year term that expired in 2023, state records show. Corporate records show Boelter's wife filed to create a company called Praetorian Guard Security Services with the same Green Isle mailing address listed for the couple. Boelter's wife is listed as president and CEO and he is listed as director of security patrols on the company's website. The website says the company provides armed security for property and events and features a photo of an SUV painted in a two-tone black-and-silver pattern similar to a police vehicle. Another photo shows a man in black tactical gear with a military-style helmet and a ballistic vest. An online resume says Boelter is a security contractor who has worked in the Middle East and Africa, in addition to past managerial roles at companies in Minnesota. Around 6 a.m. Saturday, Boelter texted friends to say he had 'made some choices,' the Minnesota Star Tribune reported. In the messages, read to reporters by David Carlson, Boelter did not specify what he had done but said: 'I'm going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn't gone this way. … I'm sorry for all the trouble this has caused.' Klobuchar condemned online threats and urged people Sunday to think twice before posting accusations or motives on the internet. Speaking of Hortman on CNN, Klobuchar said: 'This is a person that did everything for the right reasons. 'Regardless of political parties, look at her face before you send out your next post,' Klobuchar said. Demuth, the Republican House speaker, called the attack 'evil' and said she was 'heartbroken beyond words' by the killings. The shootings are the latest in a series of attacks against lawmakers across parties. In April an assailant set fire to the home of Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, forcing him and his family to flee during the Jewish holiday of Passover. The suspect said he planned to beat Shapiro with a small sledgehammer if he found him, according to court documents. In July 2024, Trump was grazed on the ear by one of a hail of bullets that killed a Trump supporter. Two months later a man with a rifle was discovered near the president's Florida golf course and arrested. Other incidents include a 2022 hammer attack on the husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, in their San Francisco home and a 2020 plot by anti-government extremists to kidnap Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and start a civil war. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said he asked Capitol Police to 'immediately increase security' for Klobuchar and the other U.S. senator from Minnesota, Tina Smith. He also asked Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, to hold a briefing on member security. Speaking Sunday on CNN's 'Inside Politics Sunday,' Smith said she personally felt safe and the thought of security details becoming the norm was unbearable. 'But I think we are at a tipping point right now when we see these kinds of personal threats. It gets worse, not better,' she said. 'I don't want to think that I need to have a personal security detail wherever I go.' Sullivan, Karnowski and Richer write for the Associated Press. Sullivan reported from Brooklyn Park, Karnowski from Minneapolis and Durkin Richer from Washington. AP writers Giovanna Dell'Orto in Champlin, Carolyn Thompson in Buffalo, N.Y., Michael Biesecker in Washington and Sophia Tareen in Chicago contributed to this report.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Syrian General Questioned in Case of Missing American
A top Syrian general under President Bashar al-Assad before his ouster has surfaced in Lebanon, where he told U.S. investigators that Austin Tice, an American journalist who went missing in 2012, was dead and provided the possible site of his grave, according to people familiar with the matter. In meetings with the F.B.I. and the C.I.A., the former commander, Bassam Hassan, a top adviser to Mr. al-Assad who was accused of facilitating the country's chemical weapons attacks on civilians, disclosed in recent weeks that Mr. al-Assad, the authoritarian leader who was toppled in December, had ordered the killing of Mr. Tice. The journalist was kidnapped more than a decade ago at a checkpoint in a suburb of Damascus. The claims made by Mr. Hassan could not be independently verified, but the disappearance has long frustrated the American government. For more than a decade, the United States has hunted for information about Mr. Tice's whereabouts, holding out hope that he survived Syria's brutal prison system, where torture and killings were routine. The rapid collapse of Mr. Assad's reign after more than a half-century of family rule helped renew the search for Mr. Tice, with American investigators believing they might finally learn his fate. Nearly a dozen people, including former and current U.S. officials, as well as past associates of Mr. Hassan familiar with the events, spoke to The New York Times on the condition of anonymity to discuss details intended to remain private or because they feared retribution. American intelligence agencies have long believed that Mr. Hassan played a critical role in Mr. Tice's imprisonment. His name was one of several the Biden administration gave the rebel group that toppled the Syrian government in the hopes it could obtain information about Mr. Tice. Mr. Hassan, American officials believe, could provide clues about not only Mr. Tice but also other matters of importance to the United States and its allies. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
