ESCONDIDO, Calif. - A 25-year-old man allegedly killed his mother at an Escondido apartment and inflicted non-life-threatening injuries on himself, authorities said Thursday.
Officers sent to investigate a report of a possibly deceased person at an address on North Hickory Street near East Washington Avenue around 6:40 p.m. Wednesday initially found David McGee suffering from wounds that were later determined to be self-inflicted. He was detained, "due to his injuries and suspicious nature of the call," Escondido police Lt. Justin Murphy said.
Inside the apartment, authorities found the body of McGee's mother, 55-year-old Rebecca Apodaca, who had suffered injuries consistent with being the victim of homicide, Murphy said.
McGee was then placed under arrest on suspicion of first-degree murder and was taken to Palomar Medical Center to be treated for his injuries, Murphy said.
Kathryn Brown and William Gagnon live in Casa Grande Apartments. They saw the aftermath of what happened.
"She was family to somebody," said Brown. "We saw her daughter hysterically crying right here on the sidewalk. Just to see that it made me realize, 'What if that was my mother?"'
Although they didn't know her personally, they won't let her be forgotten.
"We actually came to an agreement," said Gagnon. "Sometime this week we're going to lay down some flowers and a cross in front of the lady's house. Even though we didn't know her. Just to pay some respect."
Authorities did not immediately disclose a motive in the alleged matricide. McGee was released from the hospital and booked into jail on Thursday afternoon.
Anyone with additional information on the case was asked to call Escondido Police Detective Ross Umstot at (760) 839-4463, or the police department's anonymous tip line at (760) 743-8477.
