A nervous stepson led Mexican investigators to the pickup truck used in the murder of two Australian brothers and their American friend on a Baja California beach in April 2024, a state investigator testified Thursday in Ensenada.
The investigator, whose name the court ordered withheld, said Ramón came forward six days after the killings with information about his stepfather, Jesús Gerardo, one of three men now charged with aggravated homicide, aggravated robbery, violent robbery and grand theft auto.
“He was very nervous,” the investigator told the court, describing Ramón’s demeanor when he approached authorities on May 5, 2024.
Teen Says He Heard Screams, Gunshots
Ramón told investigators he had accompanied his stepfather unknowingly the night of April 27, sitting in a vehicle when he heard screaming and gunshots. The next day, May 6, he led authorities to a white Ford Ranger parked in a small driveway in Ensenada’s Vista Hermosa neighborhood.
At the campsite tied to the investigation, authorities found bloodstains and a .45 caliber shell casing, the investigator testified. Earlier reports indicated one of two vehicles suspected in the murders had been found abandoned and partially burned.
Three Defendants Face Murder Charges
Jesús Gerardo faces charges alongside co-defendants Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús in the killings that shocked both sides of the border. The three surfers—brothers from Australia and their American companion—had traveled to the idyllic Baja beach when they disappeared April 27.
The case proceeds before a judge in the Baja California court system, where investigators continue presenting evidence gathered in the weeks following the murders. Thursday’s testimony marked the first public account of how family members helped break the case open.
The court has not yet set a timeline for completion of the prosecution’s case. Mexican authorities have not disclosed whether Ramón faces any charges related to his presence at the scene or what assurances, if any, he received in exchange for his cooperation.
Key Points
- Ramón, stepson of defendant Jesús Gerardo, led investigators to white Ford Ranger used in April 2024 beach murders
- Investigators found bloodstains and .45 caliber shell at campsite linked to killing of two Australian brothers and American friend
- Three men face aggravated homicide charges; court withholds investigators’ names for security
https://www.courthousenews.com/suspects-stepson-led-investigators-to-vehicle-linked-to-baja-beach-murders/ – September 18, 2026
