A woman left for dead after an apparently intentional hit and run in the City Heights area was physically assaulted before the collision, police said Thursday.
The woman who died in the collision on Wednesday morning has been identified as 29-year-old Jasmine Leigh Ruiz.
Her family told NBC 7 Ruiz was a mother of five and had a 'beautiful soul.' She loved to sing.
Police said her body was found beneath a vehicle in the west alley of the 4100 block of Wilson Avenue just after 10 a.m. She died despite efforts by emergency personnel to resuscitate her.
Initially, police thought the crash was an accident. However, after speaking with witnesses and examining the scene, SDPD officials determined the hit-and-run appeared deliberate, and homicide detectives were called in to take over the investigation.
Detectives believe the car was used as a weapon to kill the victim after a physical assault.
Witnesses told San Diego Police Department (SDPD) officers that a group of suspects – possibly one woman and two men, all in their mid-20s and possibly Hispanic – exited the car and ran away from the scene of the crash. The suspects were last seen sprinting southbound away from the alley.
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Police said one man, described as heavyset, may have had blood on his shirt. The female suspect may have also been covered in blood.
Investigators are continuing to interview possible witnesses and still need the public’s help in the case. Anyone with information is asked to call the department’s homicide unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
