Surfing community south of the border mourns American, 2 Australians murdered in Baja

SAN DIEGO ( Border Report ) — Members of Northern Baja’s surfing community protested Sunday in the beach town of Ensenada, demanding justice for the three men recently murdered during a surfing trip.

Baja California Attorney General Maria Elena Andrade Ramírez said the bodies of brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, of Australia, and their friend Jack Carter Rhoad, of San Diego, were found in a well Friday near a campground where they were shot dead.

Fellow surfers carrying surfboards, signs and pictures of the three dead men marched along Ensenada’s coastal boardwalk upset over what they call a lack of safety and security for locals and visitors alike.

“We’re showing our discontent with the situation,” said Rigel Navarro, head of the Baja California Surfers Association. “It’s unfortunate that these visitors are not with us anymore.”

Navarro and others are asking Baja Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila and the police to make things safer in and out of the water.

“It’s security for our people and visitors. We’re not just talking about our surfing community, but those who come here to fish, hike, trail run and do other activities that aren’t safe anymore,” he said. “All of us who use Baja California as a tourist destination can’t enjoy activities in a quiet and safe manner.”

As protesters marched in Ensenada, Andrade Ramírez held a news conference in Tijuana.

She said robbers approached the surfers, who were camping in Punta San Jose, an isolated area that is home to several well-known surfing spots, including La Bocana, 110 miles south of the border.

Andrade Ramírez described how one of the victims refused to give up his truck’s tires.

“One of the assailants pulled out a firearm and shot him,” she said. “The other two jumped in to intervene but were also shot.”

The Robinson brothers and Rhoad were then dumped in the well where they were found.

On Sunday, the victims’ families could be seen leaving the Baja Medical Examiner’s Office in Tijuana after positively identifying the bodies, which, according to Andrade Ramírez, eliminated the need for DNA and other genetic testing.

As a recovery team pulled out the victims from the 50-foot-deep well, they found another body.

The attorney general’s office said the fourth victim was not involved in any way with the deaths of the surfers.

A source tells Border Report the fourth person was the property owner who was reported missing more than two weeks ago.

In the meantime, the U.S. State Department has issued a travel advisory asking people to reconsider visiting Baja California due to crime and kidnapping concerns.

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