San Diego: Women with Tijuana ties murdered

Women murdered in Chula Vista, San Diego

* Preface by saying there is NO official or otherwise word this is cartel or drug related, I found the story potentially interesting for a few reasons, which I will explain. Second, as kind of a counter to the stories of the dead in Tijuana, in the sister city of San Diego.  

In southern San Diego, the lines separating Tijuana from San Diego become very blurry and almost nonexistent, the further you go down the 5 south.  Many make the commute everyday, and members of families often live within reach, barely separated by the San Ysidro border and immigration regulations.  

Communities like Chula Vista, Eastlake, Bonita, San Ysidro and Imperial Beach are all deeply connected with Tijuana, and Mexico.  Eastlake, with it's sprawling gated communities and estates is sort of a Tijuana Beverley Hills, on the other side. Many of Tijuana's business elite, and business owners live here, which has been longstanding since the communities conception.

It became a sanctuary of sorts after and during 2008, when the Arellano Felix began to break apart, and El Teo began his bloody efforts to marginalize Fernando Sanchez Arellano. He also began to kidnap businessmen, doctors, and the wealthy, who were previously off limits.  Many fled, fleeing both kidnappings and the dismemberments and shootouts which had become common.  

Chula Vista, off Palomar street is no Beverly Hills, it's an industrial area, with a high poverty rate, close but a world away from Eastlake, and the downtown skyline.  This is where Pamela Burgos, 24 was murdered, on Quintard Street, between Palomar and 3rd street. 

 It's blocks away from Castle Park High, Costco's, and Walmarts, an urban area, but not a urban war zone either.  It's gang territory, but in these communities, it all is.

On July 9th, as Comic Con madness descended upon a different San Diego, Pamela and her boyfriend were walking home, from a nearby corner store, one of dozens in the area, mostly owned by Iraqi Chaldean families, who stay open late.  Shortly before midnight, a subject fired three shots, striking Pamela in the head, and the chest.  Some reports have mentioned a shot to the face.

 The unknown subject disappeared into the night, no description has been offered.  The boyfriend was apparently questioned, but is not a suspect at this time.  No shots were fired at the boyfriend.  Pamela Burgos died at the scene. The funeral is being held in Tijuana, as that is where most of her families lived. 

There is nothing to suggest a drug or drug trafficking link to her murder, it is worth noting her ties to Tijuana however, as common and normal as that may be.  More telling is the nature of the murder. The killing points to a mistaken identity, or a targeted, personal attack.  There was no robbery, or attempted one, and the boyfriend wasn't hit, or acknowledged, as far as we know.  Three shots speaks to someone who had a personal grudge, or knew what they were doing.

 A fatal shooting that happened nearby on Palm Avenue, in the Imperial Beach area, a similar industrial slum preceded Pamela Burgos' murder by an hour.  Robert Soria and his cousin Alex Valleres were approached by a man who began shooting, Soria was killed, his cousin wounded.  Authorities are investigating any connection.  The suspect was wearing blue jeans and a blue shirt, and said to be in his 20's.

Gang rivalries run high in these communities, as does drug use, the price of crystal and heroin is at it's lowest, and availability most prevalent.  Southern San Diego has many ties to the border, smuggling drugs, immigrants are common among elements of gang members.  A women was found zip tied off Interstate 5 near Palm City last week, she refused to cooperate with police, claiming she had zip-tied herself.  

Sources: 10news San Diego, NBC San Diego