San Diego detectives have arrested a man in connection with a 2023 Mission Bay homicide following an extensive investigation. The victim, Eric Nelson, age 51, was reportedly assaulted at the North Cove on Vacation Road and later succumbed to his injuries. According to information from the San Diego Government official site, Nelson took himself to a local hospital after the attack on August 24, 2023, with injuries including trauma to his jaw and ribs. Nelson, described in the report as a white male, eventually died on September 18, 2023, a month after the assault, with the Medical Examiner Office confirming homicide as the manner of death.
Lee Orozco, a 34-year-old Hispanic male, is the accused assailant, charged with murder alongside narcotic offenses and encroachment. As noted in a news release by the San Diego police and later referenced in a report by NBC 7 San Diego, both Nelson and Orozco were homeless. Orozco was apprehended on Thursday, at 900 Sea World Drive and is scheduled for arraignment.
Orozco faces charges related to the death of Nelson after the latter was beaten and left with life-threatening injuries in the vicinity of Paradise Point Resort & Spa. Investigation revealed that Orozco had engaged Nelson in a physical confrontation, delivering punches and kicks, which led to the grave injuries noted by the homicide detectives. The homicide unit of the San Diego police took over the case following the determination of Nelson's death as a homicide by blunt force injury.
At the time of his arrest, Orozco possessed what appeared to be illegal narcotics, both a white crystalline substance and some pills, which will be scrutinized further in the lab for confirmation. Encroachment, one of the charges Orozco faces, pertains to lodging in a public or private place without permission—a misdemeanor offense that was added to his list of charges. The San Diego Police Department urges anyone with information regarding the case to step forward and contact the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or utilize the Crime Stoppers service by calling (888) 580-8477.
