San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Press Release Re: Otay Mesa Homicide
The Sheriff’s Homicide Unit and San Diego County Crime Stoppers want the public’s assistance in identifying and locating the suspects responsible for a homicide near the U.S.-Mexico border fence in Otay Mesa.
On July 28 just after 1:30 p.m., CAL FIRE San Diego firefighters located a man who had been shot near the base of the border fence, approximately three miles east of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
Sheriff’s Deputies were subsequently contacted to investigate the shooting. The victim of the shooting was transported to a hospital for treatment of his injuries. He told deputies that he and his friend had crossed into the United States through a gap in the border fence earlier in the night. After crossing, they were contacted by a group of four Hispanic men. The suspects asked the victim and his friend who they had paid to cross the border. When the victim informed the suspects they had not paid, he and his friend were forced to walk up a mountain, ordered to get on their knees and both were shot.
After the suspects left, the victim checked on his friend, but he was deceased. The victim walked along the border fence until he ran into CAL FIRE San Diego firefighters.
The suspects may be associated with the Hotel Libertad in Tijuana.
At this time, the only information on the suspects are composite sketches of three of the four men involved in the shootings.