A man was arrested Thursday in connection to a death of a man found bleeding outside a Lemon Grove home, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department announced Friday.
Gustavo Flores, 38, of Lemon Grove turned himself in to deputies at the Lemon Grove sheriff's substation without incident, SDSO Lt. Rich Williams said.
He is being charged in the murder of Juan Martinez, 47, who was found by deputies just before 9 p.m. last Thursday near a shopping center located south of state Route 94. Flores is being held without bail.
Deputies were responding to a resident's call that there was loud banging on their door, Williams said.
Martinez was found lying on the ground outside the home in the 7600 block of Lemon Avenue with serious and visible injuries to his upper body after knocking on the door of the home.
“He knocked hard, and his shadow kind of fell," Michelle Varner said.
Medics attempted to revive him but he was declared dead about 20 minutes after deputies arrived.
An autopsy had been completed to determine the cause of the death but the results had been sealed because of a court order, Williams said.
It not clear what the relationship Flores had with the victim other than they might have seen each other in the neighborhood, the lieutenant said.
Local
Flores had an argument with the victim before the killing but it was unknown what the argument was about, he said.
Martinez' family is still trying to come to terms with how his life came to an end, and have a specific message for the suspect.
“I hope he rots in hell. That they take his life”, said Martinez’ cousin over the phone from Mexico. She says Martinez has two teenage sons he leaves behind.
It was unclear why Flores turned himself in but that was the best possible outcome on this case, Williams said.
Varner said Martinez was trying to get his life together and worked as a day laborer. She saw him almost every day for several years, waiting by the bench where he was killed.
“I wish I could have done something for him that night. I don't know if I could have. It happened so fast," said Varner.
The family is in need of help paying for funeral expenses. A link GoFundMe page has been set up in Martinez’ honor.
During the investigation, a sheriff's department helicopter was seen flying overhead announcing it was looking for an armed male suspect with black dreadlocks wearing a grey jacket and black backpack.
A man in the area who used to live in the neighborhood said there's a lot of crime and warned people to be careful when they come around.
"It's no joke around here," Marcial Becerra said. "You really have to be careful when you come out here. It's always good to come out with somebody with you. Apparently, whoever lost their life tonight was alone."
