Victim Identified In El Cerrito Homicide; Killer Still At Large

San Diego CA

29 December, 2020

9:08 PM

Description

By Christine Huard, Times of San Diego December 29, 2020 Authorities Tuesday identified a 28-year-old man who was shot in the head in the El Cerrito neighborhood of San Diego on Christmas weekend, as the hunt for his killer continued. At 11:03 p.m. Saturday, San Diego police dispatchers received a 911 call regarding a possible shooting outside of a residence in the 5700 block of El Cajon Boulevard. Patrol officers arrived to find the wounded victim, later identified as Kenneth Confer of San Diego, on a second-floor landing with a head wound, according to SDPD Lt. Matt Dobbs. They moved the man to a safe location and began CPR until paramedics arrived to transport him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Dobbs said little is known about the circumstances surrounding the shooting, other than that the victim "had been in an altercation" with his assailant, who fled the scene before police arrived. The suspect was subsequently identified as 18-year-old Joseph Mehlenbacher, who is considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached, according to the SDPD, which said anyone who spots him should call 911. Mehlenbacher was last seen driving a white 2002 Honda Accord, California plate 8CJY250. Anyone with information about the case was asked to call the SDPD Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477. — City News Service Times of San Diego is an independent online news site covering the San Diego metropolitan area. Our journalists report on politics, crime, business, sports, education, arts, the military and everyday life in San Diego. No subscription is required, and you can sign up for a free daily newsletter with a summary of the latest news.