Student Found Dead In Men’s Bathroom
Police
The homicide detectives are investigating the death of a 19-year-old student. The body was found at San Diego City College in a men’s bathroom on Tuesday night. Two weeks ago she told the police that her husband kidnapped her from the campus.
The police named Diana Gonzalez’s husband, Amando Gabriel Perez, as a “person of interest” in the investigation. The two have a 10-month-old daughter. Gonzalez lived in National City and obtained a temporary restraining order against her husband, Perez. Apparently, last month he assaulted her and held her against her will in a motel room for three days. The authorities said that he was arrested after that but he was released from jail because the prosecutors refused to file charges.
Diana’s relatives were so fearful for her safety that they went with her almost everywhere. Apparently, the criminal justice system that is supposed to protect domestic violence victims failed. “We did so much and nothing happened,” said Concepción Gonzalez, the victim’s mother. She said that the authorities, referring to the efforts made with law enforcement to protect Diana, said: “They just kept saying, ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry.’ I said, ‘Are we supposed to wait for him to kill her?’ ”
The police said that Perez, 37, has a sister living in Tijuana and they are trying to locate him. They are currently working with the Mexican authorities and trying to locate him. Also, the police know that he is driving a 1999 blue Ford Mustang with the California license plate 6GKA572.
A spokesman said that the District Attorney’s Office does not discuss why some cases are rejected. “Because of an ongoing investigation, we can’t comment on this case specifically,” said the District Attorney, Bonnie Dumanis in a statement Wednesday. “I want to make it clear that the District Attorney’s Office takes cases of domestic violence very seriously. We work closely with victims and hold perpetrators accountable whenever possible,” he added.
On September 28, Gonzalez filed for a temporary restraining order against her husband and a judge granted it. On October 19 there was set a court hearing because Perez hadn’t been served with the order. Jim Collins, homicide captain, refused to say anything related to Gonzalez’s cause of death but he said she was killed in a bathroom. The injuries were very severe it was very hard to identify her. Collins said that there will be a fingerprint comparison during the autopsy.
Another student found the body of Gonzalez around 10:05 p.m. in the M building on B Street near Park Boulevard. Jasmin, Gonzalez’s cousin said that she was supposed to be in a class that ended at 9:30 p.m. The parents were waiting for her in the parking lot. Their cars were parked next to two campus police cars, with their eyes on her classroom. She did not come out after the class. Also, she did not answer her phone, so her parents called the police. When she didn’t come out after class and didn’t answer calls to her cell phone, the parents called police.
The cousin said that three hours later the detectives notified Jose and Concepción Gonzalez about the fact that their daughter was killed. “They kind of already knew,” said Jasmin said. Gonzalez met her husband at a shopping mall in 2007. They got married in January but were estranged, according to court records.
