At 3:55 p.m. on January 17th, 2023, the San Diego Police Communications Center got a call about a chaotic scene at a pharmacy. Police officers from Eastern Division were sent quickly. When they got there, they noticed the store was locked and that a female victim was inside.
Law enforcement personnel gained access to the pharmacy and found a female who had sustained numerous stab wounds to her torso. Officers attempted to save her life until paramedics from San Diego Fire-Rescue came to the scene. The woman was then taken to a hospital for urgent medical attention. Sadly, despite all the efforts of the officers and medical staff, 66-year-old Mary Ellen Carter was declared dead at 4:46 p.m.
Analyses have revealed that Brower and Carter were shared co-owners of the pharmacy where Carter was stabbed.
As police responded to the scene, they discovered that the perpetrator, 77-year-old Frank Brower, had left the scene in a darkly colored sport utility vehicle. Through further investigation, the officers were able to trace his residence to the 800 block of La Cresta Boulevard in the unincorporated area of El Cajon.
The officers worked in conjunction with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department to verify the address through patrol officers and law enforcement helicopters. Subsequently, Brower was contacted by officers and deputies. This contact led to an officer-involved shooting between the suspect and two San Diego Police Department officers.
Officers Robert Raynor and Salvador Laurel-Torres have been removed from their respective duties while the incident is under review.