Hearing for Accused Killers of Baja Surfers Delayed Again
In one of the most shocking stories of 2024, Jake and Callum Robinson, along with Jack Carter Rhoad, went missing while on a surf trip in Baja, Mexico. Soon after, their bodies were found at the bottom of a well, and police apprehended the suspected perpetrators of the murder. However, as ABC News reports, there’s going to be another delay in the process of finding justice for the three surfers.
After the bodies were found, police arrested Jesús Gerardo, Cristian Alejandro, and Ari Gisel in connection with the deaths. Since then, a fourth person has been arrested in the investigation. The men were then transferred from a local Ensenada jail to a maximum security prison called El Hongo – reportedly due to the fact that two of the men were linked to the Sinaloa Cartel.
Former Ensenada police director Jesús Luna Lezama told ABC, “What started as a minor crime – car theft – turned into forced disappearance and the murder of three people, in a way that closely resembles the behavior of organized crime groups,” Lezama told the ABC. “It could have been an isolated incident, not necessarily directed by cartel leadership. These groups often avoid drawing attention from authorities.”
Initial court hearings were originally scheduled for July 17, then adjourned to July 25. However, when the delayed date arrived on Friday, the hearing was delayed yet again. The cases of the four men will advance separately. The suspect facing the most serious charges had his hearing scheduled for August 9th, while the other three were set for November 13, in order to allow them more time to try to reach deals with prosecutors.
