ENSENADA<\/p>\n
Three men were sentenced Friday by a Mexican court to more than 158 years in prison each for the 2024 murder of two Australian brothers and their friend from San Diego while they were on a surfing trip south of Ensenada.<\/p>\n
Defendants Jes\u00fas Gerardo, known as \u201cEl Kekas,\u201d Irineo Francisco and \u00c1ngel Jes\u00fas were found guilty<\/a> last week of aggravated murder as well as armed robbery and armed vehicle theft. The three were identified publicly only by their first and middle names, as is protocol in Mexico in ongoing criminal cases. In November, a fourth defendant, Ary Gisell Silva, was sentenced<\/a> to 20 years for armed robbery and vehicle theft.<\/p>\n Callum Robinson, 33, an Australian living in San Diego; his brother, Jake Robinson, 30, and their friend, Carter Rhoad, 30, a San Diego resident and Point Loma Nazarene University graduate, were found dead<\/a> at the bottom of a well on May 3, 2024 \u2014 days after they were reported missing.<\/p>\n The three victims were camping in Punta San Jos\u00e9, south of Ensenada, where they were shot by the defendants, who wanted to steal<\/a> their Chevrolet Colorado and belongings. According to prosecutors, Silva told\u00a0one of the defendants to rob them. The vehicle was later found burned with no tires.<\/p>\n Family members reported them missing when the group failed to check into the Airbnb in Rosarito that they had booked as part of their trip.<\/p>\n In court, Rhoad\u2019s wife said that she used the Find My app to track her husband\u2019s Apple devices, which appeared to be in different locations. She shared this information with the FBI, which then passed it on to the Mexican authorities. Her husband\u2019s cellphone was later found in Silva\u2019s possession.<\/p>\n