Violent crime isn’t spiking, according to San Diego’s police chief, despite a rash of homicides in the city over the three-day holiday weekend.
On Saturday, two men were ambushed in their car in the UTC area. One of them died. Witnesses told police the gunman escaped on foot.
Sunday afternoon, homicide detectives were called to the East Village after a man was gunned down on a sidewalk near Market and 16th streets. The gunman got away in a silver or gray sedan.
Violent Weekend in San Diego
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SDPD Chief David Nisleit said those two homicides were targeted attacks but that there was no evidence they were connected.
Then, early Monday morning, police were called to a house on the 2800 block of Poinsettia Drive in Point Loma, where a man had been choked to death by another man. Both were guests at a vacation rental property. According to police, the victim was being restrained during an altercation. Now, officers are waiting for an autopsy to tell them whether it was the altercation that killed the victim or something else. No charges have been filed in that case, either.
Nisleit, who told reporters his phone was ringing all weekend with reports of violence, said his job is to make sure investigators have all the tools they need to arrest those responsible.
“All these cases take time,” Nisleit explained. “They have to be processed. You have to take into account all the witnesses, what the evidence takes you, and then you move forward with that to the DA’s office for issuance, whether it be a warrant or arrest.”
Homicide detectives close more than 80% of their case, according to the chief, who called San Diego one of the safest cities in the nation.
Nisleit believes all three homicides will be solved.
“I know it’s difficult on our investigators, and the crime lab and everyone that’s involved, when you have these cases back-to-back to back,” Nisleit said. “It is difficult on our resources, so I just want to check and always make certain that they have what they need to keep pushing forward to solve these cases, 'cause anytime you have a homicide, that victim deserves to have that case closed and their family has the right and needs to have these cases closed.”
So far, 2024 is on track for fewer homicides than last year, Nisleit said. At this time last year, San Diego there had already been nine homicides. Including the three homicides this past weekend, there have been five so far this year.
