Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda addressed the sexual abuse case against former world boxing champion Érik “El Terrible” Morales on March 24, saying she has had no contact with the accused or the alleged victim. Ávila Olmeda pledged that the investigation and legal process in the El Terrible sexual abuse case would proceed “in strict adherence to law.”
Morales Linked to Trial After 23-Hour Hearing
A Tijuana judge ruled on March 20 that sufficient evidence exists to move forward with a trial against Morales on charges of aggravated sexual abuse. The closed-door hearing lasted nearly 24 hours, and the court had postponed proceedings three times before reaching the decision. Formal charges will be read to Morales at a hearing scheduled for July.
The complainant, a former municipal employee, filed her accusation with the FGE (Baja California’s state attorney general’s office) in July 2025. She alleges that Morales summoned her to his government office to discuss work matters, then closed the door and sexually assaulted her. She also alleges unlawful detention. Morales remains free pending trial but is subject to a restraining order barring any contact with the alleged victim.
Boxing Champion Turned Politician
Morales, the first Mexico-born boxer to win world championships in four weight divisions (from super bantamweight to light welterweight), entered Baja California politics in March 2023. He served as director of INDE (the state sports institute) from March to November 2023. He then became Secretary of Welfare for the Tijuana municipal government under then-mayor Montserrat Caballero Ramírez.
Before the accusation surfaced, Morales had been competing in Morena’s internal primary for the Tijuana municipal presidency. His campaign plastered billboards across the city. The July 2025 complaint ended that bid, and he was immediately removed from his welfare post. Ismael Burgueño, who now serves as Tijuana’s mayor, filled the vacancy left by Caballero Ramírez.
Critics had questioned Morales’s qualifications for public office from the start, arguing that his fame as a boxer did not translate into government experience. The accusation also was not the first allegation against him. A former employee at a boxing gym owned by Morales accused him of similar conduct in 2013, though that case did not result in charges.
The next court proceedings are expected in July 2026, when charges will be formally read, according to Punto Norte.