UPDATE: Officer-Involved Shooting in Encanto 

September 2, 2023 - San Diego County Sheriff’s Department officials report that on August 28 at 8:42 p.m., the San Diego Police Department received a call from a reporting party of shots being fired at a residence located in the 500 block of Iona Drive in the Encanto area of San Diego.  Officers were dispatched and arrived on scene a few minutes later.  Upon arrival, the first responding officer located a female and dog down in the driveway of the residence.  Both appeared to be suffering from trauma to the body.  When the officers approached to provide aid to the female, the suspect opened fire on them from within the residence.  One officer exchanged gunfire with the suspect.

As additional officers arrived, an emergency rescue was performed to extricate the female from the driveway to a position where medical aid could be rendered.  During this rescue, the officers once again came under gun fire from the suspect inside the residence.  With the female successfully rescued, officers began life-saving measures until paramedics arrived at the location.  Unfortunately, the female succumbed to her injuries and was declared deceased at the scene.

San Diego Police Department's Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) were requested due the extreme nature of the situation unfolding. During the standoff, the suspect refused to cooperate and set fire to the garage of the residence.  With a perimeter set and nearby residences evacuated, multiple commands were given to the suspect to peacefully surrender. The suspect, while still armed with a rifle, was shot by an officer. Life-saving measures were performed on the suspect prior to being transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced deceased around 11:00 p.m.

The Medical Examiner's office conducted an autopsy. The preliminary results for the cause of death are gunshot wounds; the manner is homicide. The suspect has been identified as 43-year-old Jesse Glen Nelson. His last known address was in the city of San Diego.

No officers or other civilians were injured during the incident.  The deceased female has been identified as 74-year-old Maria Rosario Morales, mother to Jesse Nelson.

The officers involved in the shooting have been identified as Darwin Anderson and Matthew Steinbach. Officer Anderson has been employed by the San Diego Police Department since September 2021. He is currently assigned to the Southeastern Division. Officer Steinbach has been employed by the San Diego Police Department for 11 years.  He is currently assigned to the Western Division and the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit.

Per the Countywide Memorandum of Understanding, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department Homicide Unit was called to the scene to conduct the officer-involved-shooting investigation.  At this stage of the investigation, the circumstances of the shooting are still under investigation. Detectives are currently gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and examining the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

The investigation and review process for officer-involved shootings are extremely thorough. When the Homicide Unit completes its investigation, it will be reviewed by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office to determine if the officers bear any state criminal liability for their actions. The San Diego Police Department will conduct an administrative investigation into the officer’s discharge of his firearm.  The Commission on Police Practices (CPP) will conduct a review of the incident and provide any appropriate recommendations. The Department of Justice was notified of the above incident.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (858) 285-6330/after hours at (858) 565-5200.  You can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Source: San Diego County Sheriff’s Department