In the pre-dawn stillness of Grant Hill, a San Diego neighborhood usually quieted by the late hour was shattered by violence, resulting in the deaths of two people, now identified as Ruben Chavez, 31, and Evelyn Virgen, 28, according to a press release sent via EMAIL from the San Diego Police Department. The victims, found on the 100 block of 27th Street by responding officers early yesterday after an anonymous tip, suffered gunshot wounds and, despite CPR attempts by the officers, succumbed to their injuries.
The grim tableau was complicated further by the discovery of three young children, all under two years of age, in a nearby vehicle registered to Virgen, who were found unharmed but alone; the children have since been placed in protective custody and are identified as Virgen's. Chavez and Virgen, in a relationship themselves, were embroiled in a fluctuating dispute with Chavez's former partner, Princess Perez, and her companion, Rex Morales. Both have been arrested in connection with the murders following an attempt to re-enter the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on January 19, the police department reported.
Border Patrol agents were responsible for the detention of 25-year-olds Perez and Morales, who, following interviews with homicide detectives, were booked on two counts of murder each, Perez at Las Colinas and Morales at County Jail, despite their flight prior to the arrival of the authorities after the crime took place. The details surrounding the dispute and its escalation into deadly violence remain under investigation by the Homicide Unit.
As the community grapples with the senseless loss and the disruption of a family unit, officials are urging anyone with additional information to come forward and assist in the ongoing investigation by either calling the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or reaching out to Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
