Mexico surfer deaths: accused man confessed to girlfriend, court told

A man accused of the disappearance of three tourists on a surfing trip in Mexico has confessed to killing them, a court heard.

Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad disappeared on April 27 near Ensenada.

Jesus Gerardo appeared in court Wednesday on kidnapping charges, but authorities say murder charges will soon be filed.

Also known as “El Kekas”, he has not yet pleaded guilty.

Baja California state officials have said the three tourists, all in their 30s, likely died while trying to prevent the tires from being stolen from their pickup truck.

Their bodies were found dumped in a well next to a cliff six days after they disappeared, each with a gunshot wound to the head, according to local authorities. A fourth body was also found in the well, but it had been there longer and was not related to the case, they added.

Jesús has been accused of “forced disappearance” and his girlfriend Ari Gisel and another man have been arrested for their alleged involvement. His surnames have been suppressed by the courts.

During a court appearance Wednesday, prosecutors named Ari, who has not been charged in her disappearance, as one of their witnesses.

The court heard the 23-year-old told investigators that Jesus had turned up at her home on April 28 and told her he had done something to “three gringos.”

She asked him what he meant, to which he responded “I killed them,” the hearing was told.

He then showed her that he had equipped his car with new tires, which were allegedly stolen from the murdered surfers, prosecutors would allege.

They also told the court they believed other people were involved in the murders.

Earlier this week, the parents of Jake and Callum Robinson traveled from Perth to Mexico to identify their bodies.

In an emotional tribute on Tuesday, Debra Robinson said: “Now is the time to bring them home, to family and friends, and to the waves of the ocean in Australia.”

The killings have sparked fear and anger in Baja California.

It is one of the most violent states in Mexico, where local drug gangs wage turf wars.

But the Ensenada area, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) south of the U.S.-Mexico border and known for its surfing conditions, is considered safer and has long attracted tourists from California.

Dozens of protesters marched through the city on Sunday, carrying surfboards with slogans demanding safe beaches.

Afterwards, a group of surfers held a “paddling out” ceremony, a vigil in the ocean to honor the trio.