Mexican police searched Thursday for the estranged husband of a slain woman believed to be a San Diego City College student after finding his car in a Tijuana neighborhood.
Diana Gonzalez, 19, was found by a student after 10 p.m. inside a men's bathroom at San Diego City College. Police are searching for a person of interest in the case, Gonzalez' estranged husband, Armando Perez, 37, who detectives have been unable to locate.
Tijuana police issued a public notice asking for help in finding Perez after his blue 1999 Ford Mustang was discovered in a neighborhood in the western part of Tijuana.
Investigators said Gonzalez and her husband had a history of domestic violence. Gonzalez' sister, Janette, said Perez' aggression and jealousy frightened Diana.
According to Janette Gonzalez, Perez kidnapped Diana and held her in a motel for two days.
"He just choked my sister, and threw her in the car, and my sister literally didn't know anything about herself until she woke up, and she had blood all over her face," she said.
San Diego police arrested Perez on allegations of kidnapping, rape and assault.
“Our domestic violence unit handled the case,” said San Diego police Capt. Jim Collins. “They investigated the case. They arrested the suspect and booked him into the county jail. The district attorney’s office reviewed the case and declined to issue at that time.”
The District Attorney's office released a statement saying it's their policy not to discuss why charges are not filed in a case.
"We work closely with victims and hold perpetrators accountable whenever possible," wrote San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis.
“Are they going to just wait for all girls to get killed to put them in jail?” Janette wondered aloud.
Gonzalez recently filed a temporary restraining order against Perez, the father of the couple's 9-month old daughter. In fact, the couple was supposed to be in court on Tuesday, but Perez had not yet been served with court papers because he had not been located.
The men's restroom where Diana Gonzalez was found is tucked away on the second floor of the chemistry building, according to one of the school's professors.
A purse was found on the ground outside a women's bathroom in a separate area of campus from where the body was found. The contents of the purse could be seen on the ground with an evidence marker next to it.
Investigators closed off a large portion of the campus during Wednesday's investigation, including Gorton Quad, and search dogs were brought in to look for other evidence.
Perez is believed to be driving a 1999 blue Ford Mustang with California license plate 6GKA572. He is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs about 165 pounds.
Police are urging anyone with information about Perez's whereabouts to call 911 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477. Investigators said they considered Perez to be armed and dangerous, and that it was possible he was in Mexico.
