The San Diego surfers’ murder trial for brothers Callum and Jake Robinson and their friend Carter Redd Rhoad, concluded Friday in an Ensenada courthouse, some 70 miles south of the San Ysidro border.

A judge found the main defendant, Jesús Gerardo García, guilty of aggravated homicide and robbery, for which prosecutors are seeking 210 years in federal prison. The co-defendants, Irineo Francisco N. and Ángel Jesús N., were also found guilty, facing up to 168 years each. There will be a separate sentencing hearing in the coming days to determine how many years the defendants will serve.

San Diego surfers’ murder trial followed in Ocean Beach, Point Loma

The surfing community in San Diego, especially Ocean Beach, has been closely following the San Diego surfers’ murder trial. The Australian Callum Robinson loved living in O.B.; in fact, his brother Jake was out visiting, staying with him before they and Rhoad left for their surf trip in Baja. Rhoad, who was living in Point Loma, graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University in 2014.

Prosecution witness Silva Raya, the now ex-girlfriend of defendant García, testified early in the trial that they first encountered the surfers after running out of gas. The Robinson brothers and Rhoad, it turns out, had pulled over to share their gas, which was when Raya noticed the truck tires and cell phones inside the visitors’ truck. Raya, who was sentenced in 2025 to 20 years for her role, set events in motion when she urged Garcia to rob them, though she testified that she never thought he’d hurt them. That’s hard to believe given that she knew he was violent, referring to him in court as sicario, meaning in Spanish, a hitman, contract killer, or cartel enforcer. To be clear, prosecutors maintained that the triple homicide was not cartel-related but an opportunistic robbery for the truck’s tires.

In his closing argument Friday, the prosecutor underscored the defendants’ cruelty: “They said they wanted to ‘f— up the gringos.’ With senseless violence, they took them out of their tent and shot one of them who said he was married. They showed no humanity towards their victims.”

San Diego surfers’ murder trial feature victim impact statements

The final day of the San Diego surfers’ murder trial included powerful victim impact statements from the families. Debra Robinson, the mother of Callum and Jake, traveled from Perth, Australia with her husband. They were there every day of the trial. “Our children were taken from us and our lives changed forever,” she said. “How can someone so kind die at the hands of such ruthless people? They took our sons from our lives forever.”

Robinson emphasized that this wasn’t just a murder – it was a cold-blooded execution. Her sons didn’t fight or try to flee; instead, they desperately handed over their wallets and keys, begging for their lives, only to have the murderer openly laugh about the crime later.

Natalie Weirtz, the fiancée of Rhoad, said via video link, “Living without my soulmate is the greatest pain of my life. I believe the accused are guilty and justice should be served in the highest degree.” (Source: The Washington Post).

It should be noted that violent crimes against Americans in Ensenada are very rare. The bulk of Ensenada’s violent crime occurs far away from the malecon (boardwalk), cruise ship docks, and the Valle de Guadalupe wine region. It typically happens in outlying neighborhoods. Tourists are rarely the target of organized crime. But when you leave downtown Ensenada, by the port, and venture to some of the more isolated areas, like the surfers did, the risk of being robbed increases.

Editor’s Note: This article was updated on October 10, 2026, to reflect the final verdicts delivered in the Ensenada courtroom.

Editor’s Note: Read “Beach bar attacks expose San Diego’s dark underbelly“

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