Update: 2017 Homicide in Vista 

July 18, 2025 – San Diego County Sheriff's Office officials report that on January 14, 2017, at approximately 4:35 a.m., the San Diego Sheriff's Office Communications Center received a wireless 911 call from a reporting party who told dispatchers there was a deceased man in a laundry room at the Shadowridge Meadows Apartments located at 1515 S. Melrose Drive, in the city of Vista. The man was identified as Miguel Ruiz who was 31 years old at the time of his death.  The Medical Examiner's Office performed an autopsy and determined the cause of death was a stab wound, and the manner of death was classified as a homicide.

In the course of our investigation, the Sheriff's Homicide Unit determined Ruiz was involved in a confrontation with several other individuals near the laundry room. The confrontation escalated and Ruiz was fatally stabbed. Through their investigation, Detectives identified 29-year-old Adan Villa as a suspect of the crime. On July 11, 2025, Mr. Villa was contacted at the North County Superior Court in Vista. He was taken into custody and booked into the Vista Detention Facility for murder.  

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (858) 285-6330/after hours at (858) 868-3200. You can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Source: San Diego County Sheriff's Office