Murder investigation initiated after two men found dead near U.S. border in San Diego

Agnes Ellis February 25, 2024

On Thursday, the discovery of two unidentified men, one with suspicious injuries, near the U.S.-Mexico border led to a murder investigation.

San Diego, California – On Thursday, the discovery of two unidentified men, one with suspicious injuries, near the U.S.-Mexico border led to a murder investigation.

The bodies were found around 8 a.m., about 15 hours after Border Patrol saw what looked like a dead body in the Tijuana River near Clearwater Way and Dairy Mart Road, close to San Ysidro. The San Diego Police Department shared this information.

“This area is a large floodplain (that) has been flooded in recent weeks due to heavy rain,” SDPD Lt. Steve Shebloski said. “Officers … responded and checked the area. However, due to poor lighting conditions, a strong water flow, (and) vegetation and debris in the river, they were not able to locate a body.”

The next morning, with the first light, police started looking again. A helicopter from the Border Patrol helped them, and they found the bodies in the river near a big pile of debris. They got city lifeguards to help get the bodies out.

“The San Diego (County) Medical Examiner’s office was contacted, and, upon closer examination of one of the (dead men), it was discovered he had trauma to his upper body that indicated he was the victim of a homicide,” Shebloski said. “The (other) had no obvious signs of injury that indicated he was the victim of a crime.”

They are still figuring out how the men died, waiting for the autopsy results.

“It is undetermined if the deaths … are related in any way or if (the) bodies ended up at the same location due to the recent heavy rains and strong currents in the river that led to their discovery in a location where a large amount of debris had accumulated within the river,” Shebloski said. “This investigation is ongoing.”