Manhunt on for Husband of Slain College Student Found on San Diego Campus
SAN DIEGO (CBS/KFMB) A 19-year-old woman found slain in a men's bathroom at San Diego City College may have been the victim of domestic violence, police and school officials said Wednesday, and a statewide manhunt is underway to find her estranged husband.
Positive identification is on hold pending fingerprint comparisons, but investigators believe the body is that of Diana Gonzalez of National City, Calif., San Diego police Capt. Jim Collins said. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
A student found the body shortly after 10 p.m. Tuesday and notified a teacher, police said. Investigators Wednesday morning were retracing the young mother's steps on campus.
An official told CBS affiliate KFMB that the killing appears to be a case of domestic violence that slipped onto the campus.
Her estranged husband, Armando Gabriel Perez, has been named a "person of interest" and may have fled to Mexico, police said Wednesday. The 37-year-old is believed to be driving a blue 1999 Ford Mustang, California license number 6GKA572, and should be considered armed and dangerous.
Gonzalez's family reported her missing when she did not return home after a Tuesday night class, homicide detective Kevin Rooney told the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Jasmin Perez told the newspaper that Gonzalez was her cousin and that she has an 8-month-old daughter. Perez said Gonzalez wanted to be a nurse and was taking general education classes.
School officials tried to calm students and said they do not believe the death was the result of a random killer who came on campus.
Still, students who walked past the yellow police tape and crime scene investigators said the killing made them feel uneasy. Several classes were moved to other buildings.
City College President Terrence Burgess said in a statement released Wednesday morning that college officials extended their condolences to the woman's family and asked students to remember the victim in their prayers.
Anyone with information on Perez's whereabouts was asked to call San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.