San Marcos

A migrant farm worker, shot several times in the head when he confronted bandits who had threatened his son, has died.

Florencio Morales, 60, died about 3 p.m. Tuesday at Palomar Medical Center, where he was taken Sunday by a Life Flight helicopter after being shot in a south San Marcos field, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Morales’ son, Arturo, and two friends were confronted by two men who demanded their money as they walked on a dirt path south of the 2000 block of West San Marcos Boulevard, Sheriff’s Deputy Al Bates said.

The two companions fled in different directions, and one ran to the camp where the father was staying and told him that his son was being chased by two bandits, Bates said.

The father ran to his son’s aid and was confronted by the two. He was shot when he tried to take the gun away from one of them, Bates said.