Australian surfing brothers shot in the head in Mexico along with American friend may be victims of a drug cartel
New details on the Aussie surfers killed in Mexico have emerged after the bodies of Perth-born Jake and Callum Robinson were found down a hidden well.
New details on the Aussie surfers killed in Mexico have emerged after the bodies of Perth-born Jake and Callum Robinson were found down a hidden well over the weekend.
The brothers, aged 30 and 33, were killed in what is understood to have been a robbery gone wrong.
The pair and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, were reported missing last week while camping in the notorious state of Baja California.
Local officials say the method of killing, a single gunshot to the head, has led them to believe there could be drug cartels or other organised crime involved.
The area is known for a number of cartel-related killings.
In December, enraged drug lords had begun a hunt for corrupt police officers who stole a drug shipment. 12 months earlier, civilians in Tijuana were warned they could be attacked if they were caught outside as “roaming bands of criminals” set fire to cars an businesses in protest of the imprisonment of their fellow gang members.
Speaking this week, Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez, the Attorney-General of the State of Baja California, said she couldn’t rule out the possibility the Robinsons were victims of a notorious drug gang.
There are also questions swirling over the fourth body found down the well and that person’s connection to the incident.
“They approached, with the intention of stealing their vehicle and taking the tyres and other parts to put them on the older-model pick-up they were driving,” Ms Andrade Ramirez said.
“When they (the victims) came up and caught them, surely, they resisted.
“And these people, the assailants, took out a gun and first they killed the one who was putting up resistance against the vehicle theft, and then others came along and joined the fight to defend their property and their companion who had been attacked, and they killed them too.”
Surf club’s tribute for Aussie surfers
On Sunday evening Mexico time, local surfing communities gathered to honour the memory of the deceased with a ‘paddle out’ vigil in the seaside community of San Miguel.
The vigil included placing flowers on surfboards and paddling out to sea, reflecting the surfing tradition of commemorating fallen comrades.
The brothers’ parents, Martin and Debra Robinson, travelled to Mexico to be close to the search operation, describing their sons as “beautiful human beings”.
The couple said Callum had been living in the US to follow his dream of becoming a professional lacrosse player.
“He is widely known in the US as the Big Koala,” they said.
“We think of him as our big, soft, friendly giant.”
Jake only left Australia two weeks ago to visit his brother.
“It was a trip of a lifetime to see his brother, before shortly taking up a new position at Geelong Hospital in Victoria,” the parents said.
“Callum and Jake are beautiful human beings. We love them so much and this breaks our heart.”
Gino Passalacqua, the vice-president of the Baja Surf Club, said the killings have shattered the community.
“I’m just shaken to my core,” he said.
Surfer Phil Brown, who spends four months a year in the area, said he’s been pondering how safe the area is in the wake of the tragic event.
“And that’s what’s scary is ... did I just get really lucky or did they just get very unlucky?” he said.
Another held a sign demanding safer and more accessible beaches in the area.
In posts on social media, Callum Robinson’s partner Emily Horwath shared a series of tributes to her boyfriend from loved ones over the past two days.
“I’d give anything for one more koala hug,” she wrote in one post.
“My heart is shattered into a million pieces. I don’t have the words right now.”
Callum’s university team Stevenson University Lacrosse claimed in a social media post the pair had been killed.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of our dear teammate and friend, Callum Robinson,” the club said.
“From his days leading us to victory on the field to his unwavering commitment to academic excellence, Callum was a true inspiration to us all.”The club said Callum had played a pivotal role in the team’s Division III National Championship in 2013, and had amassed “equally impressive academic achievements”.
Three suspects arrested as investigation continues
Ms Andrade Ramirez said a murder investigation was underway after the bodies were discovered in the well on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean almost a week later.
Three suspects have been charged with offences akin to kidnapping.
“The attackers drove by in their vehicle,” Ms Andrade Ramirez said.
“They approached, with the intention of stealing their vehicle and taking the tyres and other parts to put them on the older-model pickup they were driving.
“When they (the victims) came up and caught them, surely, they resisted.
“And these people, the assailants, took out a gun and first they killed the one who was putting up resistance against the vehicle theft, and then others came along and joined the fight to defend their property and their companion who had been attacked, and they killed them too.”
On Saturday, authorities identified the three suspects as Jesús Gerardo Garica Cota (alias El Kekas), his partner Ari Gisel García Cota, and his brother Cristian Alejandro García, according to local Spanish language media outlet Zeta Tijuana and Talk Baja.
They have all been charged with a crime equivalent to kidnapping, officials said.
It was unclear if they might face more charges.
- with NCA Newswire
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