SAN DIEGO — San Diego Police are investigating the death of a 38-year-old man who was found dead inside a Point Loma vacation rental just after 2 a.m. on February 19.
San Diego police dispatch received a call of a man in medical distress at a home on the 2800 block of Poinsettia Drive. 911 dispatch audio indicated the victim had been placed in a 'choke hold' during a fight inside the home.
Upon arriving, a police spokesperson said that the man, whose name has not yet been released, was non-responsive. The man was taken to a hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.
According to police, the man was staying at the Point Loma rental with a group of people from out of town. A fight broke out and the man was physically restrained by a 44-year-old man who was inside the home at the time.
San Diego police detained the 44-year-old male, but later released him pending further investigation. As of Monday afternoon police remained at the scene executing a search warrant on the house, according to a release.
The department said detectives are investigating what led up to the altercation, the nature of the restraint, and the circumstances surrounding the death. The cause of death will be determined by the San Diego County Medical Examiner.
The three-story house sleeps about 12 and was listed on Airbnb. A neighbor told CBS 8 the home has hosted a number of loud parties.
One neighbor told CBS 8 the same owner operates two other local Airbnb properties, one of them right across the street. "You're only supposed to have one in the city. And I know that for a fact that they own three but they put them in different LLC names," said the neighbor, Chrissy, who asked that her last name not be published.
CBS 8 reached out to the property management company, California Grand Properties in San Diego. Spokesperson and Airbnb host, Liz Salloum, responded, “We express our sincere condolences to the family and friends affected by the recent tragedy. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the family that has suffered the loss of their loved one." No further comment was released.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.