A man that stabbed his friend and fled the scene of the crime left behind a bloody trail at least part of the way as he walked from the body to the border, police said.
Police are searching for 19-year-old Andrew Cortez, who is wanted for homicide in the death of 44-year-old Rene Macias Pressa.
Chula Vista Police were called to the second-story building at 45 3rd Avenue at approximately 1:30 a.m. Thursday. The crime scene is located east of Interstate 5 and south of State Route 54.
The two men knew each other, police said, and were coworkers at a restaurant. The night of the crime, Cortez, who lives in Mexico, stayed over at Pressa's place, police said.
During the night, Cortez stabbed Pressa during an argument, police said, and then immediately fled the scene.
The 44-year-old man was found lying in his doorway, suffering from “severe injuries,” police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
Police he was injured in the confrontation and left a "very long bloody trail" from the scene of the death to a Starbucks and potentially further down the path he took to walk to the border.
Local
Investigators then found a trail of blood and other evidence that stretches approximately a mile to a nearby Starbucks.
Chula Vista Police Lt. Fritz Reber said Thursday a roommate of the victim discovered the body and called it in to police. A pair of bloody pants were found near the crime scene.
“We’re still walking the trail,” Lt. Reber said on Thursday. “We’ve come to a location where we can’t find anymore and that location is maybe a mile from here.”
Cortez walked a significant portion of the way to the border from Chula Vista to San Ysidro, police said, between 1 a.m. and 4 p.m. on surface streets. Police said he was barefoot and possibly bleeding.
He was last seen wearing a black tank top and tight shorts or boxers, police said. Cortez is described as about 5 feet 5 inches, 150 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
Chula Vista Police coordinated with the U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Apprehension Team to take Cortez into custody, but he fled his Tijuana home before authorities arrived.
Anyone with information regarding the homicide, Cortez's current whereabouts, or anyone who may have contacted Cortez while he walked home the night of the murder, are asked to call the Chula Vista Police Department's COV Division and speak with Detective Anthony Molina at (619) 691-5178. If you wish to remain anonymous you mall also call Chula Vista's Help-Us-Solve-A-Crime tip line at (619) 422-TIPS.
