Homicides, Fire Punctuate a Quiet Holiday

Cloudy skies and cool temperatures led to sparse crowds at beaches over the Memorial Day weekend, but authorities were kept busy throughout the county by several homicides and an arson fire in Barrio Logan that gutted a warehouse.

Monday’s holiday festivities included the traditional ceremony at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery, honoring veterans who died in America’s wars. An estimated 500 people participated, including an honor guard wearing U.S. military uniforms from past wars.

San Diego city lifeguards estimated that 57,450 sun-lovers hit city beaches Monday, a number they said was average for Memorial Day.

Arson investigators arrested two men Monday who were suspected of starting a three-alarm fire at the Reliable Pipe & Supply Co. at 1400 National Ave. that caused an estimated $922,000 damage, said Capt. Jeff Carle of the Metro Arson Strike Team. It took firefighters an hour to put out the fire, which began at 4:30 a.m.

Rashad Pearson, 31, and Thomas Roberson, 45, were arrested near the scene and charged with starting the fire, Carle said. Investigators said the men are also suspected of burglarizing the warehouse. Pearson and Roberson have no connection to the company, Carle said.

San Diego police are investigating the death of a Linda Vista woman, who was shot once in the head and found lying in the back of a pickup truck in Old Town at 10:08 p.m. Sunday. Anna Castillo Soto, 25, was taken to Mercy Hospital, where she died at 12:18 a.m, police said.

Castillo’s cousin, Jose Oscar Esqueda, 29, was in the truck and was taken into custody. Investigators said the shooting occurred inside the woman’s apartment.

Escondido police were investigating a drive-by shooting shortly after noon Monday that killed one teen and injured two other people.

Authorities said the shooting occurred in the 600 block of East Lincoln Avenue after a quarrel broke out between two groups of youths. After the groups broke up, about 10 shots were fired from a black sports car passing the scene. An 18-year-old youth was hit by the gun blast, as well as a 16-year-old boy and a 20-year-old woman.

Manuel Eduardo Audelo, 18, of Escondido died of his injuries and the other two were being treated late Monday at Palomar Medical Center. Authorities did not release the names of those wounded or killed.

On Monday, the county medical examiner’s office identified the body that was discovered near the seawall on Carnation Avenue at the border of Coronado and Imperial Beach. The victim was Sally Diana Gagne, 53, of Imperial Beach, who died of multiple stab wounds. Her body was found at 7 a.m. Sunday.