A domestic dispute Thursday prompted a predawn shooting that left a 29-year-old mother of two dead on a roadside near her Fairmount Village-area home and the father of her children jailed on suspicion of murder.
Several 911 callers reported hearing a loud quarrel between the couple in the 3800 block of 46th Street shortly before 5:30 a.m., followed by a gunshot, according to San Diego police.
“At least three witnesses also reported seeing the man shoot the woman,” acting Lt. Michelle Velovich said.
Patrol officers arrived to find the victim lying on a sidewalk in front of a pawnshop with a single gunshot wound to her chest. The woman, whose name was withheld pending family notification, died at the scene.
Police found the suspected shooter, 28-year-old Fernando Avila, standing nearby and arrested him, Velovich said. Officers also located and impounded a gun in the area.
“Although it is early in the investigation, this incident appears to be a tragic case of domestic violence,” Velovich said.
Details on the couple’s relationship, including whether they were married, were not immediately available.
Avila was being held at San Diego Central Jail without bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Monday afternoon.