Body Found In Ditch Believed To Be Missing San Fernando Valley 13-Year-Old

LOS ANGELES, CA — The body of a child found in Ventura County fits the description of a missing San Fernando Valley boy, according to police and federal investigators.

FBI agents and the Los Angeles Police Department officers investigating the March 30 disappearance of 13-year-old Oscar Omar Hernandez in Los Angeles County followed a lead to Oxnard where they found the body near McGrath State Beach and the Santa Clara River.

“On Sunday, March 30, 2025, 13-year-old Oscar Omar Hernandez, a Hispanic male, was reported missing by his family after he failed to return home from visiting an acquaintance in Lancaster," a Los Angeles Police Department said in an email. "On April 1, 2025, the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division (RHD) assumed the lead in the investigation.

"During the course of their investigation, RHD detectives developed information that led them to an area of interest in the City of Oxnard," the LAPD added. "In collaboration with our partners at the FBI, a coordinated foot search of that area took place. During the search, a body matching the description of the missing teen was discovered."

According to police, the child's body had not been positively identified, and the cause of death remains undetermined.

"LAPD RHD continues to actively pursue all leads to determine the cause of death and to identify any individuals who may be involved or possess information relevant to this investigation," the LAPD added.

Hernandez's family is demanding justice.

The boy, a student at Sun Valley Magnet school, had taken a train to Lancaster Sunday to visit an acquaintance, and his loved ones began to worry when they couldn't get in touch with him.

When they tried to call Oscar, the acquaintance would answer and say that the teen couldn’t come to the phone, the family told NBC Los Angeles. That's when they became suspicious and filed a missing persons report.

His sister told KTLA they believe the dead child is her brother.

“My brother was one of those people that would greet anyone. He had no evil in his heart,” she told KTLA in Spanish. “If he encountered anyone, he would have a conversation with them and be friends with that person.”

The child's disappearance has also hit the community and his classmates hard.

"I am saddened to report the recent death of one of our students off campus. On behalf of our entire school community, I want to offer my deepest condolences to those who are impacted by this loss, including the student’s family, friends, and school personnel," a LAUSD spokesperson announced to the school. "We request that the privacy of those who have been impacted be respected during this difficult time. Please know that our entire school community offers our support."