Man Suspected of Murder in Attack on Victim, 88, at Rolando Vet Clinic

A suspect was in custody Thursday for allegedly killing an elderly man who caught him burglarizing a Rolando veterinary clinic, San Diego police said.

Patrols responded to a report of a burglary in progress in the 7000 block of El Cajon Boulevard at about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. They arrived to find a citizen detaining the alleged perpetrator behind the animal-care center, according to police.

Inside the clinic, officers found the victim, 88, suffering from a head wound and other injuries, Lt. Steve Shebloski said. Paramedics took him to a hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead. Authorities withheld the man’s name pending family notification.

The suspect, Patrick Timothy O’Brien, 37, of San Diego, is being held without bail at San Diego Central Jail. Arraignment for O’Brien, charged with first-degree murder, is set for Friday afternoon.

– City News Service