Oceanside

Oceanside police Tuesday arrested a man whom they believe is connected to the shooting death of a 23-year-old Marine based at Camp Pendleton.

Lance Cpl. Jerry William Merrell, of the First Marine Division, died during surgery at UC San Diego Medical Center, where he was taken by Life Flight helicopter, according to Oceanside police spokesman Bob George.

Thomas Dwain Eirls, 25, also of Oceanside, was arrested in connection with the slaying after he visited the police station at 4:45 a.m. Tuesday, asking to speak to investigators about the case. The investigators were out, but Eirls waited and subsequently was arrested. At least two other suspects are still at large, George said.

About 3:30 a.m. Monday, police found Merrell, with several gunshot wounds in the chest, in his apartment in the 2100 block of Willow Street. Police were responding to neighbors’ reports of gunshots. A couple who lives in an adjacent building told police that they saw three men flee in a red foreign car, one of whom fired a shot through the couple’s window.

George said witnesses reported that one of the men was carrying a microwave oven that he dropped on the front lawn to fire a shot at the couple, who were pounding on their window at him.

A motive has not yet been established, George said.