SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A man suspected of beating a fellow transient to death in El Cajon was behind bars Monday following his arrest at the U.S.-Mexico border, authorities reported.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents detained probationer John Paul Campbell, 37, as he was crossing into the United States from Mexico at San Ysidro Port of Entry on Friday afternoon, according to the El Cajon Police Department.
Three days earlier, patrol officers responding to reports of a possible assault found 41-year-old Robert Mansi mortally injured in the 100 block of West Main Street, ECPD Lt. Will Guerin said. Mansi, who was homeless, was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Detectives soon identified Campbell as the alleged killer and discovered that he had been arrested in San Diego County in February on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.
Campbell, who has "an extensive arrest record for violent crimes dating back to the early 2000s," was released from custody about seven hours prior to the homicide, Guerin said.
The events that led to Mansi's death remain unclear.
"The motive behind the homicide is unknown, and the investigation is ongoing," the lieutenant said Monday.
Campbell was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of murder. He was being held without bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
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