San Diegans are looking forward to leaving 2020 behind, from lost jobs to shuttered schools to family deaths. The coronavirus pandemic killed more than 3,800 Americans on Wednesday alone.
The isolation that comes with the ongoing lockdown has led many to overindulge in food and alcohol. Drug overdoses, which were on the rise before COVID-19 hit, have continued to climb to record heights, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Now many residents are planning changes for 2021, even as the coronavirus continues to ravage California and the world. Many have made New Year’s resolutions to exercise more and drink less, others are booking summer getaways in hopes that new vaccines will snuff out the deadly virus.
SAN DIEGO
Though the smiles were not readily apparent because of face coverings over mouths and noses, locals and visitors alike couldn’t hide their appreciation at being able to spend a sunny, warm Christmas Day in San Diego doing some of their favorite outdoor activities.
After all, the nation remains in the clutches of a pandemic that has crippled economies, closed restaurants, theme parks and theaters, sickened more than 18 million people and killed hundreds of thousands more.
So leaving the isolation of their homes where they have been sequestered on and off since March was a welcome gift.
Tom Lowe (center) points at the view while standing next to his girlfriend Kari and her daughter Luella Cota at Mt. Helix Park in San Diego on December 25, 2020.
EAST COUNTY
A couple found shot to death Monday inside their Mount Helix home died in a homicide-suicide committed by the husband, the Sheriff’s Department said.
Based on autopsies conducted Tuesday, investigators believe Herman Hull Caruthers Jr., 74, shot and killed his wife, 72-year-old Judith Ann Caruthers, before turning the gun on himself, according to sheriff’s homicide Lt. Thomas Seiver.
Authorities did not say when they believe the shooting happened. Deputies discovered the couple’s bodies Monday afternoon in their home on Resmar Road off Grandview Drive after a concerned family member reported being unable to contact the pair for several days.
Couple found dead in Mount Helix home; no suspects sought [The San Diego Union-Tribune]
Sheriff’s deputies on Monday found a couple shot to death inside their Mount Helix home, but investigators do not believe there are any suspects at large, a homicide lieutenant said.
A concerned family member who had not heard from the couple for several days asked deputies to check on the pair Monday in their home on Resmar Road off Grandview Drive, according to Lt. Thomas Seiver.
A little after 12:30 p.m., deputies went into the home and found the couple, who had both been shot, Seiver said. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
EAST COUNTY
Sheriff’s deputies on Monday found a couple shot to death inside their Mount Helix home, but investigators do not believe there are any suspects at large, a homicide lieutenant said.
A concerned family member who had not heard from the couple for several days asked deputies to check on the pair Monday in their home on Resmar Road off Grandview Drive, according to Lt. Thomas Seiver.
A little after 12:30 p.m., deputies went into the home and found the couple, who had both been shot, Seiver said. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
The names and ages of the individuals who were found dead were not released, but Seiver described them as “elderly.” Detectives from the sheriff’s homicide unit are investigating their deaths.