A mother found dead in the garage area of a home in San Diego’s Ocean Beach community has been identified by authorities. Her son – shot and arrested by police in a bizarre twist earlier this week – is suspected in her death.
The San Diego Police Department Saturday said Los Angeles County resident Heidi Green, 59, was the homicide victim. Green’s body was discovered in the early morning hours of Wednesday inside the garage of a home on Niagara Avenue.
According to SDPD Lt. Matthew Dobbs, Green’s son called authorities to check on the welfare of his mother after a family member received a message from Green that raised concern.
Police said that family member tried to call Green back but could not reach her. Green’s son told investigators the family believed Green was out in Ocean Beach, checking on a housing property.
Police arrived at the home on Niagara Avenue at around 1 a.m. Wednesday and began searching for Green, with the help of her son who had called authorities. Police were not able to enter the home, so they began searching the surrounding areas for Green.
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During the search, the victim’s son who had called police spotted his brother – Daniel Chase McKibben, 36 – running away from the home. The son who called police forced his way into the home’s garage and, there, he discovered Green’s lifeless body.
At that point, SDPD officials considered McKibben a person of interest in Green’s homicide. They launched a search for him and SWAT officials even zoned in on a home where they believed McKibben was holed up.
McKibben turned out not to be at that home and investigators were not able to find him that day.
The next day, however, the case took an odd twist that landed McKibben face-to-face with police.
Over in La Mesa, on Rainey Street, homeowner Kenneth Caporale, 82, called police around 8:40 a.m. to report a trespasser was in his home, refusing to leave.
Caporale told NBC 7 his adult son – who lives with him and is mentally ill – had brought the stranger into his home. Caporale said his son will sometimes visit Ocean Beach to pick up homeless people and bring them back to Caporale’s house against his father’s wishes.
Caporale said this latest uninvited guest was another case of this problem. He didn’t know the man and wanted him to leave.
Two La Mesa Police Department officers went to Caporale’s home at around 9:15 a.m. Thursday and attempted to contact the alleged trespasser.
The LMPD said as the officers approached the man, he pulled out a knife. One of the officers fired his gun at the man, hitting him twice – once on the hand and once on the shoulder.
The officers and Caporale were not harmed in the incident.
A few hours later, LMPD investigators identified the alleged trespasser in the La Mesa incident as McKibben. LMPD Lt. Greg Runge said McKibben had been taken to a local hospital and was expected to survive.
The SDPD confirmed Saturday McKibben lived in the Ocean Beach area. He is no longer a person of interest in his mother’s death but, rather, a suspect.
McKibben remains in custody at a local hospital, the SDPD said.
The investigation into Green’s killing is ongoing; anyone with information on her case can reach out to the SDPD’s Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
