The suspect in a San Diego hotel stabbing July 8, who fled and crashed his car at a harbor pier, flipping into the water, was identified as a 23-year-old employee of the hotel who died either by drowning or from self-inflicted wounds, police said.
The stabbing occurred shortly after midnight at the Shoal La Jolla Beach hotel, about 15 miles north of downtown San Diego. Police responded to a 911 call and found two women in the hotel parking lot, one of them suffering from two stab wounds.
According to San Diego police Lt. Paul Phillips, the victim was treated at a hospital and later released. He said she is from out of state and her friend is a foreign exchange student. Both women are in their mid-20s.
They were checked into the hotel by the suspect, Aaron Tran, hours before the stabbing, police said.
“In my 33-year career, I have never heard of anything like this,” Mr. Phillips said at a media briefing July 8. “La Jolla in general is a safe area.”
Mr. Phillips said the suspect’s shift ended at 10 p.m. but apparently he returned to the hotel two hours later.
According to authorities, the suspect, who had been an employee at the hotel for only six months, used a wireless phone from the lobby to call the women’s room and tell them there was a water leak in an adjacent room that he needed to investigate.
When the victim opened the door, authorities say Mr. Tran handed his cell phone to her, with the screen showing a message.
According to Mr. Phillips, the note said, “Don’t scream, don’t say anything. I have a knife. I’ll stab you.”
After reading the message, the victim saw the suspect had a knife in his hand, so she screamed and fought, authorities said.
She was stabbed in her upper chest near her collarbone and also in her arm, according to Mr. Phillips. Both women were able to flee to the parking lot, where they called 911.
“The victim did the right thing, she screamed, she fought, she got out of it.” Mr. Phillips said.
Hotel management could not be reached for comment.
The suspect fled driving a white Honda Civic. About half an hour later, a sergeant with the San Diego Harbor Police Department saw a wrong-way driver near Harbor Drive in San Diego’s downtown area. The sergeant tried to initiate a stop but the driver sped away.
According to Mr. Phillips, the car was spotted going an estimated 80 mph, headed to the end of the pier. The driver, Mr. Tran, crashed the car, and it flipped into the water.
The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities said the suspect’s neck area had stab wounds that were apparently self-inflicted. They said Mr. Tran had no previous criminal record. He lived with his fiancé and parents in San Diego.
Authorities said the motive behind the stabbing is being investigated.
