Police who were called out early on Friday night in Oceanside made a grisly discovery upon their arrival.
Officers were alerted to an unresponsive woman in the 300 block of Talon Ridge Way, which is an apartment complex about 10 blocks south of SR-76 and five blocks east of Interstate 5.
Investigators quickly determined the 83-year-old woman had been killed. Over the weekend, they identified a 25-year-old neighbor as a suspect and, on Monday, took him into custody in the afternoon for suspicion of murder.
NBC 7 asked Oceanside police why after three days they had not yet identified the suspect or the victim. In an emailed response, a spokesperson says they did not release the names at the request of both families and that police were still investigating.
Police said in a news release sent out Monday that they think the killing was an isolated incident and that, with him in custody, there is no threat to the public.
Maintenance workers were replacing the broken door on the suspect’s apartment on Talon Ridge Way when an NBC 7 crew arrived. His front door and that of the victim’s are just a few feet apart.
A police officer close to the investigation says it appears the woman was stabbed after she opened her front door. Police say the suspect was evaluated in the psychiatric ward initially but has since been booked in the Vista jail.
A neighbor who wished not to be identified says he was not at home at the time of the stabbing but heard the victim’s daughter when she discovered the crime.
“She started screaming,” the neighbor said. “I believe she said, ‘My mother is dead.’”
NBC 7 learned the victim has been a volunteer for the humane society for 16 years. She was a dog walker, and that’s how people in the neighborhood remember her.
“We are heartbroken,” a humane society spokesperson said over the phone upon learning of her death. “She was an integral part of the volunteer program at the Oceanside campus.”
Anyone with information about the case is being urged to call Oceanside police at 760-435-4378. Tips can also be called in anonymously to 760-435-4730.
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