Missing San Ysidro couple found dead in casino parking lot
UPDATE: San Ysidro couple found dead at casino identified
SAN DIEGO — A missing persons case involving a married couple from San Ysidro has evolved into a murder-suicide investigation, according to authorities.
Officers from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol called the San Diego Police Department around 12:25 p.m. Tuesday to report a vehicle that was found in the Golden Acorn Casino parking lot at 1800 Golden Acorn Way in Campo.
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In that vehicle, authorities discovered man, 52, and a woman, 45, who were both dead. The two individuals, a married couple who were said to have been living separately, were reported missing last week by family members.
The exact nature of what occurred and why they were missing is still under investigation. However, police said there was likely a domestic violence incident prior to the couple disappearing.
Detectives from the SDPD’s Southern Division and the Homicide Unit responded to the scene to investigate. Based on preliminary evidence, authorities say the man was killed from what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
The woman’s injuries are undetermined at this time and will be confirmed by the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office. Her death is being investigated as a homicide with her husband as the lone suspect, police said.
Both the suspect and victim have been identified but their names are being withheld at his time pending notification of family.
SDPD said the deadly incident “appears to be a tragic case of domestic violence.”
“Through their investigation, they determined that the couple was missing under some suspicious circumstances and there was a possibility there was a domestic violence instance that was a precipitating event in that couple being missing,” SDPD Lt. Steve Shebloski said to FOX 5.
Missing posters for Melissa and Johnny Soto can be seen near the family’s home in San Ysidro, which said the two were last seen leaving in a silver Toyota Tacoma.
Police believe the woman was killed prior to leaving San Diego.
Neighbors’ security footage shows what they say was the wife’s car parked as usual, facing the home in the driveway, but then was “suspiciously” turned around and backed into the home, around the time they supposedly left in the truck.
According to a GoFundMe created by the family, the couple leaves behind three kids, a teen and two young adults, who depended on their parents financially.
“It just breaks my heart not only that kids have lost their parents, but that there wasn’t an opportunity to intervene earlier to prevent this from ever happening,” Casey Gwinn, president of Alliance for Hope International, said to FOX 5.
He said as a country, we see more deadly violence around the holidays.
“When women and children, and even men at times, are dying in San Diego and across the country, it’s everybody’s problem. And if you want to solve this, you got to help people get into support and services and you’ve got to hold that abuser accountable, before the violence escalates to this point,” Gwinn added.
Anyone with information regarding this murder-suicide investigation is encouraged to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
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