Man Killed With Ax in Oceanside

A pickax slaying and a fatal stabbing occurred Sunday within about an hour of each other in San Diego County, authorities said.

In Oceanside, a sheriff’s deputy shot and wounded a man who allegedly killed another man using a pickax.

Alberto Hernandez, 28, of Oceanside was arrested on suspicion of murder. He was being held without bail.

Deputies found an unidentified man on a sidewalk with severe head wounds. A pickax in the backyard of a nearby residence was believed to be the weapon.

Police found the victim about 1:05 a.m. and said they spotted Hernandez hiding in the bushes about a mile from where the killing occurred.

After being ordered out, Hernandez allegedly lunged at Deputy Jon Coppedge, a five-year veteran. Coppedge fired one shot and hit Hernandez in the upper torso. Hernandez was taken to Palomar Hospital and underwent surgery.

At 2:15 a.m., San Diego police found a woman with numerous stab wounds in an apartment. The unidentified victim died at Mercy Hospital.

Officers also found a man with stab wounds to his arms and a second man with a stab wound to his hand. The second man, whose name wasn’t immediately released, told police he tried to disarm the first man who had just stabbed a woman and was trying to cut his own wrists.

The stabbing suspect was taken to UC San Diego Medical Center. His name was not immediately released.

In nearby El Cajon, police Sunday were investigating an apparent murder-suicide after finding a man and a woman shot in their apartment Saturday night.

Two teenage daughters of the woman were in the apartment and one witnessed the shooting, police said. The daughters have been placed with relatives as police continue their investigation.