San Diego County Sheriff's deputies fatally shot a man accused of stabbing someone in the face at a Solana Beach restaurant Monday, officials confirmed.
Deputies responded to the Rubios restaurant inside a shopping complex off South Highway 101 at approximately 3:30 p.m. Investigators said the suspect stabbed a restaurant employee several times in the face.
Solana Beach resident Carlos Ortega showed us a text message received from a friend whose children were inside.
"Guy came into the rubios in Solana beach and got into an argument with the manager," the text stated.
Jennifer Sommer's teenage daughter and her friends witnessed the stabbing. She said the group of teenagers tried to help the wounded employee.
"They kind of were holding his head up and applying towels...what 18-year-olds, I'd think, would know to do," Sommer said.
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A member of the victim's family told NBC 7 the man was stable, coherent, and expected to survive.
Deputies spotted the suspect on the train tracks a few blocks away from the Rubios, near the intersection of Via De La Valle and Camino Del Mar, right next to Brigantine Seafood and just up the hill from Del Mar Dog Beach.
The suspect was still armed with a knife, according to deputies. During a confrontation, deputies opened fire on the suspect as they attempted to take him into custody.
The suspect was treated at the scene and taken to a nearby hospital where he died, SDSO Homicide Lt. Greg Rylaarsdam said.
Authorities have not identified the suspect, or elaborate on what specifically he was wanted for. The Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy.
No deputies were hurt in the incident.
According to SDSO, there are no outstanding suspects in the incident.
Rubios issued a statement saying: "Rubios takes the safety of our team members very seriously, and our primary focus right now is to make sure our team members and guests are safe. We are working diligently with authorities to investigate the incident.”
The restaurant said they could not disclose further information.
Via De La Valle was closed for hours due to the investigation.
Due to law enforcement activity in the area, the northbound Coaster service was suspended out of Sorrento Valley, according to the North County Transit Department (NCTD).
Amtrak also sent a tweet that two of its Pacific Surfliner trains would be delayed.
