San Diego police arrest woman suspected in beating death of 75-year-old man

San Diego police on Tuesday arrested a woman they suspect attacked and beat a 75-year-old man in November, leaving him gravely injured in his City Heights apartment.

About 4:40 a.m., investigators got a tip that Dulce Amaya, 36, was at a convenience store on El Cajon Boulevard near 47th Street. Officers found and arrested her on suspicion of murder and elder abuse, homicide Lt. Steve Shebloski said.

Her arrest came five days after the department announced they were looking for her in connection with the death of Raymond Corn.

On the evening of Nov. 17, a neighbor of Corn’s called police after hearing a disturbance at Corn’s apartment.

Medics and officers arrived to find Corn conscious but in a lot of pain. It was difficult for him to communicate, and officers were not clear as to exactly what had happened to him, Shebloski said.

Corn was taken to a hospital, where he died Nov. 28.

The lieutenant said investigators believe Amaya had been staying at Corn’s apartment for at least several weeks leading up to the incident, but had been homeless before and after that.

“We are unclear on exactly how long she stayed with him or how long they knew each other,” Shebloski said.

He said there was not a specific indication of a motive other than an argument between the two.

Amaya’s bail and arraignment information was not available on the jail website Tuesday afternoon.

TERI FIGUEROA U-T

Ex-deputy gets 21 years to life for child sex abuse

SAN DIEGO

A former San Diego County sheriff ’s deputy who pleaded guilty to molesting two underage girls and possessing images of child sexual abuse was sentenced Monday to 21 years and eight months to life in state prison.

Jose Apolonio Soto Jr., 52, who worked as a deputy for nearly 25 years, was arrested last year after a search warrant was served at his Chula Vista home.

In May, he was charged in San Diego Superior Court with possession of the sexual abuse images.

He later pleaded guilty to the possession charge, as well as felony counts of lewd acts on a child and continuous sexual abuse of a child. As part of his guilty plea, he stipulated to the prison term and is required to register as a sex offender.

Both victims appeared at Soto’s sentencing hearing and described the lasting trauma of the abuse they endured, the fear they felt while he was in their lives, and their ongoing mistrust of other people’s motives.

Soto also made a statement at the hearing, in which he said, “I pray to God that he will take the pain away from the emotional scars that I left behind. It is my hope that with the justice you get today, you’ll begin your recovery. You’ll live full and happy lives. Please don’t let my past mistakes define your future.”

Soto began working for the department as a detentions and court-services deputy in March 1998, according to sheriff ’s officials. He retired in 2022, then was rehired by the agency on a part-time basis.

Soto was fired from his parttime law enforcement job the same day of his arrest, according to the Sheriff ’s Department. CITY NEWS SERVICE