Decomposed Body of Girl Found in Bed

The badly decomposed body of a 5-year-old girl who may have been dead for more than a week was found Tuesday in the Normal Heights apartment where the child had lived with her father, officials said.

Coroner’s Deputy Penne Hammerstead said the cause of death of Julianna Cathleen Olson Mubarak was undetermined. An autopsy was to be performed today.

Juanita Morin, the manager of the building in the 4660 block of Wilson Avenue where the girl lived, found the body at about 12:30 p.m. when she went to investigate complaints from neighbors that a strong odor was coming from the apartment.

Another resident of the building, Linda Lomeli, said Morin ran screaming from the child’s bedroom after finding the body.

Hammerstead said the child was found in bed in a normal sleeping position.

“She was dressed for bed,” Hammerstead said. “She had on a nightgown. She had a pillow, a blanket and a teddy bear.”

Hammerstead said there was no evidence at the scene to indicate the cause of death.

Neighbors said the child and her father, Ibraham Mubarak, 37, had lived in the building since January but that neither had been seen during the past two weeks. Homicide detectives are seeking Mubarak, a substitute teacher for the San Diego Unified School District and the Sweetwater Union High School District. His whereabouts Tuesday was unknown.

Sgt. Hank Olais said the two-bedroom apartment looked as if it had been vacated. Except for some household appliances, there was no furniture outside of the child’s room, he said.

Hammerstead said Mubarak and the child’s mother, Cathleen Olson, were divorced before Julianna was born. Mubarak had had custody of the girl since her mother died in 1983.

Neighbors described Mubarak as an overprotective father who did not let Julianna go outside to play, although he did let her friends visit her at home. They said Mubarak did not socialize much with other residents in the seven-unit building.

“He would treat us like he didn’t want anything to do with us,” said neighbor Maria Ramirez. “He would walk by and wouldn’t even look at us.”

But Justin Clarke, 7, a neighbor who had been to the Mubarak home several times, said Mubarak was “a very nice man. He played cards and chess with us and he was really nice with the little girl.”