An SUV driver was jailed on suspicion of murder Friday after Carlsbad police say he ran into another man, killing him, following an early morning altercation.
Someone called 911 about 3:25 a.m. to report a confrontation between two men on Rue Des Chateaux, a cul de sac along the coastline just south of the mouth of Buena Vista Lagoon.
As police were on the way, the 911 caller said one of the men had been struck by an SUV, police Lt. Alonso DeVelasco said.
Officers found the victim in the road. Police and Oceanside firefighters performed life-saving measures on the man, but he died at the scene.
One of the responding officers saw a vehicle leave and followed it onto southbound Interstate 5. It exited at Poinsettia Lane and headed west. Other officers came to assist, and police pulled over the SUV on Raintree Drive off Avenida Encinas.
They arrested the driver, identified as Robert Owens, a 41-year-old Escondido resident.
Authorities did not release the name of the man who was killed, until his family is notified.
DeVelasco said investigators are working to determine what preceded the incident. It’s still unclear if the two men knew each other, the lieutenant said..
Roberts was booked into the Vista jail on suspicion of murder. Online jail records indicate he could be arraigned Tuesday.