CRIME
Missing California Parents May Be Couple Found Dead In Likely Murder-Suicide
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A mother and father reported missing just days before Christmas may have been found dead in an apparent murder-suicide, the San Diego Police Department said Wednesday.
Melissa and Johnny Soto haven’t been seen since they left their home in the San Ysidro neighborhood on the evening of Dec. 20, and their three children reported them missing the following morning. The siblings told NBC 7 that their parents’ marriage was troubled, and they separated in July after more than 20 years together.
On Wednesday, San Diego police reported that U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers contacted them on Tuesday after locating a vehicle connected to the case. A deceased man and a deceased woman were found inside the vehicle.
Detectives believe there was likely a domestic violence incident prior to them being reported missing.
The woman’s death is being investigated as a homicide, and her injuries and cause of death are yet to be determined by the San Diego County Medical Examiners Office, police said. The man is believed to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Police said the man is the lone suspect in what appears to be a tragic case of domestic violence.
Police did not release the names of the victims, pending family notifications, but said the male suspect a 52-year-old Hispanic male, and the woman is a 45-year-old Filipina female, matching the descriptions of the Sotos.
TMX contributed to this article.
