San Diego

3 Charged in February Killing in City Heights

Three men were booked on murder charges this month in connection with the February killing of a 32-year-old man found dead in a drainage ditch in City Heights.

Jimmy Khieu, 32, was pronounced dead by first responders who found him in a ditch in the Fox Canyon area near John Marshall Elementary School on February 3.

Khieu had trauma to his upper body and was pronounced dead at the scene, he said.

The San Diego Police Department announced Tuesday charges were filed against three men in connection with Khieu's death; Two of the men were already in custody for other crimes.

SDPD said 32-year-old Steven Chavez was taken into custody on September 11 for his participation in the alleged killing. Two days later on September 13, 45-year-old Peter Burgos was booked on charges for his alleged invovlement, and on September 17, charges were filed against 41-year-old Jesus Faraj.

Faraj was already serving time at Centinela State Prison in Imperial and Burgos was already in the San Diego County Sheriff's Department's custody.

At the time of Khieu's death residents in the Fox Canyon neighborhood were on edge.

"I initially thought I considered this a relatively safe area until this happened," Nicholas Hokam told NBC 7. "I've been pondering about that ever since I basically saw the body bag."

Anyone with any information about the incident was urged to the call the SDPD Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

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