A woman who was found dead alongside her husband in a vehicle parked in Campo was strangled by her spouse, who then fatally shot himself, police said Thursday.
The pair, both of San Ysidro, were identified as a married couple living separately, according to Lt. Stephen Shebloski of the San Diego Police Department.
Shebloski said U.S. Customs and Border Patrol contacted SDPD after finding the bodies of a man and a woman in a vehicle Tuesday in the Golden Acorn Casino parking lot, 1800 Golden Acorn Way.
They were later identified as Johnny Soto, 52, and his estranged wife, Melissa Soto, 45. The two were reported missing by family members last week, the lieutenant said.
Detectives from SDPD Southern Division and the Homicide Unit have been investigating the case since the man and woman went missing.
Detectives learned the couple were married, but living separately and there was likely a domestic violence incident before they were reported missing, Shebloski said.
“When the male and female were found by officers, the male was deceased from what is believed to be a self-inflicted single gunshot wound to the head,” Shebloski said. “The preliminary investigation indicates that his death was a suicide. It has been determined the female died from strangulation. Her death has confirmed to be a homicide with her husband as the lone suspect in what appears to be a tragic case of domestic violence.”
Anyone with information regarding the case was asked to call the SDPD Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-80-8477.
– City News Service
Updated 6:20 p.m. Dec. 28, 2023