Suspect arrested in fatal shooting of good Samaritan who stopped to help motorist on San Diego freeway

A 21-year-old man was arrested Saturday in connection with the fatal shooting of a good Samaritan who stopped to assist a seemingly stranded motorist on Interstate 15, San Diego police said Sunday.

Brandon Acuna was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and burglary, said San Diego police Lt. Anthony Dupree. He declined to offer any further details, except to say that others may have been involved in the shooting.

Curtis Adams, 21, an active-duty member of the Navy, was driving with his girlfriend south on the freeway when they spotted a man standing next to a white vehicle on the shoulder near the northbound Interstate 5 on-ramp in Logan Heights about 2:20 a.m., Dupree said.

The couple pulled over to help, and Adams was shot as he exited his vehicle, Dupree said.

The shooter got back in his vehicle and fled south.

Soon after, the California Highway Patrol put out an alert that a similar vehicle was stopped on northbound Interstate 5 near 32nd Street. A man was also seen walking away from the vehicle.

Officers found the man on Newton Street, later identified as Acuna, and he was taken into custody, police said.

Investigators also believe that Acuna was involved in an attempted car burglary on Boundary Street in the community of Mt. Hope about 10 minutes before the fatal shooting, police said.

Detectives are working to determine if another individual was involved in the attempted burglary.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

UPDATES:

5:05 p.m.: This article was updated with new information from police.

This article was originally posted at 11:40 a.m.