Police investigating death of woman, 2-year-old son in fall at Braves game

As fans were heading into San Diego’s Petco Park for a Padres-braves game Saturday afternoon, a woman and her young son died in a fall from the third level of the stadium.

The 40-year-old woman and her 2-year-old were pronounced dead at the scene after the roughly six-story fall to the sidewalk on Tony Gwynn Drive, homicide Lt. Andra Brown told the San Diego Union-tribune. They were pronounced dead at 4:11 p.m. Pacific time, just minutes before the Padres’ game against the Braves was to begin. The names of the woman and child were not released, but police said both lived in San Diego.

The boy’s father was at the

ballpark, and the woman and child had been at a concession area on the concourse, police Lt. Adam Sharki told the Union-tribune. Police were eager to speak to people who may have been nearby and could “give the family

some peace,” Brown said, and police noted that the incident “appeared to be suspicious.”

“Our hearts obviously go out to the family, but also to the people who here could potentially be traumatized who saw this,” Brown said. “It’s a horrible, horrible thing. That’s why we’re giving it a very serious look.”

Fans shared their horror over the incident on social media and found it difficult to focus on the game. “Idc what happens with this game,” one tweeted. “I am not okay after hearing what happened here today. Hug whoever you can walk or drive to and hug ... And for no other reason that they can hug back. Please. Wear your heart on your sleeve and feel braver because of it. Please.”

One man who asked not to be identified told the Union-tribune that his wife, who saw the two fall, said the toddler fell from an area with dining tables and the woman fell as she tried to grab the boy.

K.C. ALFRED/SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE A woman and her young son died in a fall from the third level of San Diego’s Petco Park before a Padres-braves game Saturday afternoon.