ENSENADA, Mexico (AP) — A local judge on Friday found three Mexicans guilty of the murders of two Australian brothers and their American friend in April 2024 in the Mexican state of Baja California.
The trial for the triple homicide that shocked Mexico and drew international attention concluded Friday after Judge Raúl Hernández in the coastal city of Ensenada ruled that Jesús Gerardo García, alias “El Kekas,” Irineo Francisco “N,” and Ángel Jesús “N” were responsible for the murders of Australians Callum and Jake Robinson and American Jack Carter Rhoad.
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Debra and Martin Robinson, parents of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, leave the courthouse after the trial of the men accused of murdering the brothers and an American friend, in Ensenada, Mexico, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Karen Castaneda)
Debra Robinson, mother of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, looks up during a news conference after the trial of the men accused of murdering the brothers and an American friend, in Ensenada, Mexico, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Karen Castaneda)
Debra and Martin Robinson, parents of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, leave the courthouse after the trial of the men accused of murdering the brothers and an American friend, in Ensenada, Mexico, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Karen Castaneda)
Debra and Martin Robinson, parents of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, pause during a news conference after the trial of the men accused of murdering the brothers and an American friend, in Ensenada, Mexico, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Karen Castaneda)
Debra and Martin Robinson, the parents of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, arrive to court for the trial of the men accused of murdering them, in Ensenada, Mexico, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Karen Castaneda)
The defendants, who had been in custody for more than two years, were also found guilty of armed robbery and armed carjacking.
The three traveled to Baja California in April 2024 to surf, but shortly after arriving in the town of Punta San Jose, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Ensenada, they were reported missing. Their bodies were found on May 3 in a well.
García, identified as the perpetrator of the murders, was arrested in May 2024 in connection to the case, along with his ex-partner Ary Gisell Silva Raya, Irineo Francisco “N,” and Ángel Jesús “N.”
During the month-long trial, chilling details of the brutal crime were revealed. Silva Raya testified last month during a hearing that García confessed to her that he arrived at the tent where the foreigners were staying with a 9mm pistol.
Upon seeing him, they began throwing their belongings to prevent him from attacking them, and one of them begged for his life, which the assailant ignored, she said.
The state prosecutor’s office reported that Silva Raya arrived in Punta San Jose on April 27, 2024, where she met the three foreigners and “instigated one of her companions to rob them,” which was carried out the following day.
The woman, who was found in possession of one of the victims’ cell phones, was sentenced in November 2025 to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to “aggravated robbery with violence” and “vehicle theft with violence” in an expedited proceeding. However, García and his two accomplices decided to go to trial.
The judge will announce the final sentence on Oct. 16. The Baja California State Attorney General’s Office requested for each defendant the “exemplary sentence" of 210 years in prison.
Follow AP’s Latin America coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
Debra and Martin Robinson, parents of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, leave the courthouse after the trial of the men accused of murdering the brothers and an American friend, in Ensenada, Mexico, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Karen Castaneda)
Debra Robinson, mother of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, looks up during a news conference after the trial of the men accused of murdering the brothers and an American friend, in Ensenada, Mexico, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Karen Castaneda)
Debra and Martin Robinson, parents of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, leave the courthouse after the trial of the men accused of murdering the brothers and an American friend, in Ensenada, Mexico, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Karen Castaneda)
Debra and Martin Robinson, parents of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, pause during a news conference after the trial of the men accused of murdering the brothers and an American friend, in Ensenada, Mexico, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Karen Castaneda)
Debra and Martin Robinson, the parents of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, arrive to court for the trial of the men accused of murdering them, in Ensenada, Mexico, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Karen Castaneda)
GULF BREEZE, Fla. (AP) — Intensifying winds whipped palm trees and thundering waves crashed along the beaches of the Florida Panhandle and Alabama on Friday as Hurricane Isaias swirled just offshore, picking up speed as it charged toward the U.S. Gulf Coast.
The Category 3 storm weakened only slightly in the afternoon and was on course to arrive in the evening as a major hurricane — and the first hurricane of an unusually quiet Atlantic season.
“Things are going to get really, really treacherous over the next couple hours,” said Jamie Rhome, deputy director for the National Hurricane Center.
Tracking late Friday afternoon showed landfall would likely take place over the western panhandle near the Pensacola area, said Robbie Berg, a national warning coordinator for the hurricane center.
Forecasters warned of a significant storm surge, damaging winds, flooding and possibly even tornadoes before the storm loses steam as it moves inland and delivers strong winds and rain well north into Atlanta.
Wind gusts nearly at hurricane strength began to lash the Gulf shoreline in the early evening, hours before Isaias was expected to come ashore in the low-lying coastal area known for powdery white sand beaches that are dotted with vacation homes, waterfront bars and seafood shacks.
A hurricane warning was in place from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the western Florida Panhandle. Several counties announced mandatory evacuations while Mobile, Alabama, imposed a curfew beginning Friday evening until morning.
Residents in Panama City, Florida, braved the rain while filling sandbags Friday to protect their houses.
“I mean, it’s just the nature of the beast. It’s Florida," said Corliss Stone, who works for the fire department.
One of the biggest concerns is a storm surge that could be as high as 6 to 9 feet (1.8 to 2.7 meters), according to the hurricane center. Places most at risk include Florida’s Pensacola Beach and the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Anne Petzold, who lives with her husband in the Florida beach community of Gulf Breeze, said everyone in their neighborhood planned to ride out the storm. The couple installed hurricane shutters and picked up anything in their yard that could turn into a projectile.
“Everybody does what they can do, everybody asks if they need help — they ask for help, they offer help. All good,” she said. “It’s just another adventure.”
Dangerous conditions are expected throughout the western panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi, the National Hurricane Center said.
In a sign of how serious the warnings are, dozens of Waffle Houses in the Florida Panhandle were closed, according to the company's website. The beloved Southern breakfast chain is known for staying open through severe weather and often is a measuring stick of a storm’s severity.
Kelsei Frazier, a Florida-native living in Pace who is no stranger to hurricanes, knows all about the Waffle House Index.
“We joke because if Waffle House is still open, then you know it’s not a bad hurricane, but all the Waffle Houses that I know of within at least a normal range from us are closed,” said Frazier. “Which is a pretty big deal.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned residents to expect power outages, gasoline shortages and closures of bridges and highways.
The state's national guard deployed about 5,000 soldiers and airmen to help with the response, and search and rescue teams were ready to respond, while some prisons evacuated inmates.
As of early evening, the storm was centered about 60 miles (97 kilometers) south-southeast of Pensacola and moving north at 17 mph (27 kph), with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph), the hurricane center said. Category 3 storms are considered major hurricanes and are capable of causing devastation.
Once Isaias comes ashore, it is expected to weaken and be downgraded to a tropical storm by Saturday afternoon, the center said.
Still, heavy rain is forecast as it moves inland, with 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) or even more expected through the weekend from southern Alabama to southwestern Georgia.
Isaias, which will be the first hurricane to hit the eastern U.S. since Milton tore up the Gulf Coast of Florida in 2024, also is expected to bring heavy rain and potential flooding to much of the Southeast over the weekend, and then to parts of the Midwest and Northeast into Monday.
The storm grounded most Friday flights at several Panhandle airports, including all flights into and out of Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, scrapped his plans to attend Saturday’s football game between the University of Georgia and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He said he didn’t want to disrupt the emergency response.
Isaias was expected to miss the oil industry’s biggest hubs along the Gulf Coast, but fuel prices could rise if power outages shut down refineries for processing crude, industry experts said.
On Dauphin Island, a barrier island off the Alabama coast, Mayor Jeff Collier said he didn't expect major damage, “but at the same time, these things are very fickle and a little jog here or there, or some last-minute increase in strength — we just have to be prepared for the worst.”
Meanwhile in the Pacific, Hurricane Simon became a Category 2 storm on Friday and was expected to strengthen further before making landfall in Mexico this weekend.
Tropical Storm Rachel was also expected to bring heavy winds and rain to northern Mexico and Southern California over the weekend.
Megnien reported from Panama City, Florida, and Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. These Associated Press journalists also contributed: Seth Borenstein and Collin Binkley in Washington; Rio Yamat in Las Vegas; Gerald Herbert in Pensacola, Florida; Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut; Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; Laura Turbay in Little Rock, Arkansas; and Hallie Golden in Seattle.
This GOES-19 GeoColor satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and taken at 1:06 p.m. EDT, Friday, Oct. 9 2026, shows Hurricane Isaias approaching the Gulf Coast of Alabama and Florida . (NOAA via AP)
People sit outside an evacuation shelter as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Jim McKenzie looks out over an empty beach as the effects of Isaias keep beachgoers away on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, on Mon Louis Island, Ala.(AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
An American flag flaps in the wind generated by the effects of Isaias on an empty beach on Friday, Oct. 9, loom overhead on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Mon Louis Island, Ala. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
Shahar David, employee at Cafe Bistro, feeds his family before closing as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Jason Coffey boards up a convenience store at a gas station as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Residents pick up sandbags for storm preparation at the James Seals Jr. Parks & Recreation Center ahead of Hurricane Isaias' expected landfall along the Gulf Coast, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
Marine flags flap in the wind generated by the effects of Isaias as a vehicle passes on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Dauphin Island, Ala. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
Surfers swim out to waves as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Silas Bowles, of Gulf Breeze, Fla. films the surf as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Mike Howard, foreground, and Joshua Brown board up Perdido Key Sports Bar as Hurricane Isaias approaches Perdido Key, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
People walk on the beach at sunset as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Daniel and Brand Harp, of Lebanon Tenn., here on vacation, pack their belongings to evacuate in the morning as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
This satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Isaias in the Gulf of Mexico, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via AP)
Larry Smith boards up his home with plywood ahead of Hurricane Isaias' expected landfall along the Gulf Coast in Dauphin Island, Alabama, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
