Bodies found in Baja California near where surfers from San Diego went missing (original) (raw)

ENSENADA — Three bodies have been found south of Ensenada near the surf break where two San Diego men and a brother visiting from Australia were last seen before disappearing under suspicious circumstances, and an arrest warrant has been issued in connection with the case, Mexican officials said Friday.

The bodies were discovered nearly a week into the search for Callum Robinson, 33, an Australian living in San Diego; his visiting brother, Jake Robinson, 30; and their friend, Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, a U.S. citizen and San Diegan.

Mexican authorities have not yet positively identified the deceased. Officials say the older remains of a fourth person may have been found, as well.

The remains were found at the bottom of a well near Punta San José in Santo Tomás, near a picturesque, remote surfing spot known as Lighthouse. It is the same general area where the Chevrolet pickup that the trio had been driving through Baja California was discovered about a day earlier. It had been set on fire.

The bodies were found after a nearly 24-hour search at the site — a rural oceanfront property that includes a small, brick house. The Mexican National Guard, Mexican Army, Baja California Attorney General’s Office and Ensenada Fire Department rescue team remained at the scene into Friday evening.

The surfers had planned to camp near the beach last weekend, then stay at an Airbnb in Rosarito, according to social media posts by friends and family. But they never checked into the Airbnb, and Callum didn’t show up for work in San Diego as scheduled.

Baja California prosecutors on Friday issued an arrest warrant for one person on charges of forced disappearance.

Prosecutors did not identify the suspect but had said Thursday that three people were under investigation in connection with the disappearances. That included a 23-year-old woman was detained with drugs and a cellphone that had a wallpaper photo of one of the missing men, according to Ensenada Mayor Carlos Ibarra Aguiar.

Rhoad graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University and works in technology services in San Diego, his LinkedIn profile says. Callum, who used to play professional lacrosse, works for a mobile fundraising platform, according to his LinkedIn. Jake, a doctor in Australia, is visiting his brother in San Diego.

The brothers’ parents, Martin and Debra Robinson, who live in Perth, told Australian news outlets earlier on Friday that they were heading to Mexico to be close during the search.

“Callum and Jake are beautiful human beings. We love them so much and this breaks our heart,” they said in a statement to Australian media.

The brothers had attended the Coachella music festival before the surf trip, the parents said.

“Surfing is a passion they both share. Our only comfort right now is that they were together doing something they passionately love,” the parents said.

Mexican officials have been coordinating with the FBI in San Diego and the U.S. State Department, as well as consulate officials of both the U.S. and Australia.

In a statement Thursday, Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila promised a thorough investigation and said that anyone responsible for a crime will be “punished to the fullest extent of the law.“

Baja California had one of the highest homicide rates in the country last year, with 2,417 people killed, according to state Secretary of Citizen Security. The deaths are largely attributed to drug violence as warring cartel factions fight for control of the area. But violence affecting foreign tourists in the region has been rare.

There have been 595 homicides in the state through March of this year.

Originally Published: May 3, 2024 at 9:55 PM PDT