SAN DIEGO—Authorities reached out to the public on July 6 for help in finding a fugitive suspected of killing his wife, a Santa Barbara County resident whose body was found just north of the U.S.-Mexico line in San Ysidro on the Fourth of July.
German Luna Salazar, 44, allegedly bludgeoned 32-year-old Leyva Oregel Garcia to death and left her body in a parked SUV in the 4400 block of Camino De La Plaza, near Las Americas Premium Outlets mall, according to the San Diego Police Department.
A security guard discovered Oregel Garcia’s body shortly before 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.
After determining that the victim had died of blunt-force injuries, the county Medical Examiner’s Office ruled her death a homicide.
Oregel Garcia had been reported missing on July 2 in her hometown of Guadalupe, a small city about 20 miles south of San Luis Obispo, according to police.
“Detectives have learned this appears to be a tragic case of domestic violence in which ... Salazar has been identified as the suspect,” police department Lt. Steve Shebloski said.
The last known sighting of Salazar was in the area where his wife’s body was found. He was leaving the vicinity on foot, and investigators believe he may have headed south and entered Mexico.
“San Diego police homicide detectives are currently working with investigators from the Guadalupe Police Department and Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office to determine the circumstances surrounding [the victim’s] disappearance ... and how she was found in San Diego,” Shebloski said.
