Mexican police say bodies found in well are those of missing tourists

Three bodies found dumped in a well with gunshot wounds to the head were confirmed as missing tourists, including an American citizen, authorities in Mexico said Sunday.

Relatives of American Jack Carter Rhoad and Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson identified their bodies without the need for genetic testing, the Baja California attorney general's office said in a statement.

Three Mexican citizens previously questioned in connection with the disappearance were arrested on suspicion of kidnapping, the Attorney General's Office said.

The three friends were surfing and camping near the city of Ensenada, about 60 kilometers south of the border city of Tijuana, when they disappeared on April 29 and are believed to have been murdered, according to authorities.

Baja California Attorney General Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez met with the victims' parents on Sunday and “reaffirmed the institution's full commitment to continue the investigation into these unfortunate events until those responsible are fully prosecuted by the law,” she said.

The surfers may have been attacked in an attempted vehicle theft, authorities said, citing preliminary investigations.

Baja California has been plagued by cartel violence in recent years, although it rarely occurs in tourist areas like Ensenada.

A burned-out white pickup truck was found on a farm in Santo Tomas, about 40 miles from where the bodies were found, a local police source told CNN .

The vehicle was confirmed to be the same one Callum Robinson posted an image of on Instagram a week before the trio disappeared.

“Contagious spirit”

Confirmation of the surfers' deaths is heartbreaking news for desperate relatives who flew to Mexico in hopes of better news – and for their friends back home.

Jake Robinson, a 30-year-old doctor, left Australia about two weeks ago for “the trip of a lifetime” with his brother, his parents previously told the news affiliate. CNN Seven News.

The brothers went to the Coachella music festival a week before crossing into Mexico with their American friend, planning to “surf for a few days,” parents Martin and Debra Robinson said last week.

“Callum and Jake are beautiful human beings. We love them so much and it breaks our hearts,” they said in a statement before departing Perth, Western Australia.

Callum, 33, was a member of the Australian national lacrosse team and an alumnus of Stevenson University. He lived in San Diego, California.

In an Instagram post, the Maryland college said: “Callum will be remembered for his infectious spirit and larger-than-life personality.”

“With his beautiful long hair and charming smile, he truly embodied the nickname 'big koala' – warm, friendly and always there to help,” the post read. “Although he may be gone, Callum’s legacy will live on in our hearts forever.”

Callum's friend Hayley Jacobs told the CNN Nine News that he “lit up a room”.

She said she saw him the morning he left for Mexico, but quickly felt something was wrong when she didn't hear from him.

“I don't know what's going on, but I think he's mad at me, like something doesn't feel right,” she said.

“We need security”

Although parts of Mexico are established tourist destinations, violent crime, including kidnapping and human trafficking, plagues parts of the country, especially in border areas.

The homicide rate in Mexico is among the highest in the world and more than 100,000 people remain missing in the country.

Drug cartels have terrorized the country with ever-increasing levels of violence and cruelty, fueled in part by the enormous demand for drugs from American consumers and armed with an arsenal of weaponry sourced from north of the border.

In 2015, the bodies of Australian surfers Dean Lucas and Adam Coleman were found in a burned-out van in the state of Sinaloa. Authorities said they were killed by low-level drug traffickers who robbed drivers.

The latest suspected homicide has sparked outrage in the surfing community of Ensenada, where about 500 people marched on Sunday to call for justice and better security, Australian public broadcaster ABC reported.

“We are here in solidarity with our friends in Australia and the United States,” local surfer Héctor Estrada told ABC.

“We are a big community of surfers around the world and we need safety, we need the beaches to be safe [para] camping, surfing or just playing with your family, friends.”

Another resident, Ana Acosta, told ABC: “I ask the government for justice and security and for the state to provide it for us surfers.”

In a statement on Sunday, Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its condolences over the suspected killings.

“The Ministry sympathizes with the families of the victims of this tragic event and deeply regrets the outcome of the events,” he stated.