Escondido Police released a new vehicle description Monday in the search for a homicide suspect.
San Diego County Sheriff's Deputies responded to reports of a woman suffering from upper body trauma in unincorporated Escondido at around 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
Family members found Teresa Ortiz, 46, injured inside the home on North Broadway near Sylvan Lane. She was immediately taken to a local hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. The medical examiner has yet to determine the cause of death.
According to officials, her estranged husband, Juan Garcia, 50, who fled the scene, is wanted in her death.
On Sunday, deputies found the suspect's faded red Ford Explorer at a commercial property a few miles north of where the crime happened. Garcia, however, was not found near the car and is still outstanding.
Detectives say they believe Garcia stole a silver, 4-door 2003 Ford Taurus with the license plate CA 7NNJ796 near Thunderbird Driving Range.
Garcia also goes by the name Jose Luis Paredes and could be headed to Mexico, police say.
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“We’ve put out a ‘be on the lookout’ to all law enforcement within the county of San Diego and south of the border,” Lt. Kenn Nelson told NBC7. “We’re not sure where he’s at right now. That’s why we want to cast the net as wide as possible.”
Garcia should be considered armed and dangerous and is believed to have a rifle. He is described as a Hispanic man, about 5-feet-8-inches tall and weighing 170 pounds. He has brown eyes and curly shoulder-length black hair, and officials say he is clean shaven and has a small tattoo on the outside web of his right hand.
At the time of his wife's death, he was wearing a blue, long sleeved shirt, blue denim shorts, long white socks and white tennis shoes.
