Suspect’s stepson led investigators to vehicle linked to Baja beach murders

An investigator with the Baja California State Investigation Agency testified that the stepson of defendant Jesús Gerardo led her to a white Ford Ranger pickup connected to the April 2024 killings of two Australian brothers and their American friend on a beach near Ensenada. The stepson, identified only as Ramón, reportedly said he rode along unknowingly the night of the murders, heard gunshots and screaming from inside the truck, then fled and hid in a bathroom.

A second investigator described finding a partially burned pickup abandoned near the lighthouse beach where the bodies were recovered, along with a pistol, two cartridges, and an empty cellphone case. A piece of fiberglass consistent with surfboard material and a bottle testing positive for gasoline residue were also logged as evidence.

Prosecution witness and co-defendant-turned-informant Ari Gisell, who has pleaded guilty and received a 20-year sentence, testified that Jesús Gerardo bragged the victims begged for their lives. Gisell said she had admired the surfers' hubcaps, tying the alleged motive to a botched theft. The defense continued to question evidence-handling procedures; ballistics findings are expected next week, with trial resuming Tuesday.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.