Homicide investigation underway after deadly fight on Ocean Beach seawall

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A physical altercation between two people on the seawall in Ocean Beach turned deadly Wednesday night, authorities said. Western Division officers responded around 8:30 p.m. to a report of an injured person near Abbott Street and Newport Avenue, according to the San Diego Police Department.

When police arrived, they found a critically injured Hispanic man. "No obvious signs of trauma were observed, but the male was unresponsive," SDPD stated in a press release. The man, 61, was transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

His identity has not been released. Christopher Leahy, a lieutenant with the SDPD's Homicide Unit, said witnesses told responding officers that the victim and another individual were involved in a verbal argument that escalated into a physical altercation. Investigators believe the fight occurred on the seawall.

It remains unclear whether a weapon was used during the altercation. The suspect was last seen traveling eastbound on the 5000 block of Newport Avenue. Officers are actively searching for the individual. The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office will conduct an autopsy to determine the victim's cause of death.