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Argument Between 2 Men in Pacific Beach Ends in Deadly Stabbing

According to San Diego police, the altercation between the two men took place at Mission Boulevard and Thomas Avenue just after 1 a.m., June 22

Police has identified the suspect in a deadly stabbing in Pacific Beach that happened overnight on June 22.

During the homicide investigation, 31-year-old Desmond Alejandro Williams was identified as the suspect and was booked into jail on Nov. 12, San Diego police confirmed.

Back in June, two men got into some sort of argument just after 1 a.m. on the 4300 block of Mission Boulevard, near Grand Avenue, said SDPD Lt. Anthony Dupree.

The area is near a 7-Eleven store, surf shops, bars and restaurants.

The victim identified as, 40-year-old Sean Paul Snellman, had been inside the 7-Eleven and when he left the store, got into an argument with the suspect. The tense encounter escalated and, ultimately, the suspect stabbed Snellman, according to Dupree.

When officers arrived at the scene Snellman was suffering from stab wounds to his torso. He was rushed to a local hospital but died a short time later, Dupree said.

At the scene, police appeared to concentrate their investigative efforts around the area in front of the 7-Eleven; a large part of the street was cordoned as officers gathered evidence and interviewed witnesses.

Williams had fled the area on foot before investigators arrived. Officials released a description of Williams in hopes of the public identifying him. 

Some witnesses described the fight and the scene as "chaotic."

Pacific Beach resident Michael Langsdale lives a block away from the scene and was hanging out at home when he heard and saw the commotion outside. When he walked outside, he saw the victim on the ground.

"It really didn’t look good because he stopped moving," he explained.

Although Langsdale said he's never experienced violence like this in his neighborhood, he said the area can get a bit rowdy with the nightlife scene and the crowds.

He said he hopes police can track down the stabbing suspect.

"I hope they find whoever did it, honestly," Langsdale added. "That kind of attitude, you know, they’re just going to have the potential to do it again."

Anyone with information on this case can reach out to the police department’s Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or San Diego County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

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