San Diego Police investigators look into the case after a man allegedly threw his girlfriend from a third-story balcony (KNSD/YouTube).
Residents of a San Diego apartment complex were left shaken after a man reportedly threw his girlfriend off a third-floor balcony in retaliation for her tossing some of his belongings over the railing.
Irene Williams, 61, suffered severe head injuries and a broken femur. Paramedics rushed her to the hospital, where she later died. Her boyfriend, 57-year-old Albert Turner, now faces first-degree murder charges, according to a San Diego Police Department press release obtained by Law&Crime.
The incident happened around 7:21 p.m. Monday at an apartment complex on the 500 block of West San Ysidro Boulevard. Witnesses called 911 after seeing a man throw a woman from the balcony. Detectives learned that Williams and Turner had been arguing, and she had thrown some of Turner’s possessions over the balcony in the corridor near their apartment.
Neighbor Charles Riddle witnessed the event.
“I’m truly traumatized by what I’ve seen,” Riddle told local NBC affiliate KNSD.
He said he lives near Williams and was walking to his car when he overheard the couple arguing.
“Before I made it to my car, I hear a commotion. I turn around, and he’s grabbed her from behind and heaves her over the balcony. She cartwheels and hits headfirst on the ground,” he said.
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According to police, Turner stayed at the scene and was arrested.
Another neighbor told KNSD about the size difference between the victim and the suspect.
“I see her around all the time. She’s just a frail, little old lady,” the neighbor said. “He was big, you know, muscular — a big guy.”