Printer-friendly version
East County News Service
April 15, 2022 (El Cajon) -- An arrest has been made in a 2003 shooting that killed two people in the unincorporated area of El Cajon. Michael Romero, 45, has been arrested and charged with the murders of Brandon Vigil and Patrick John Greene.
The crime happened on January 21, 2003 just before 6 a.m. in the 2100 block of Willow Glen Drive. Deputies with the Lemon Grove Sheriff's Substation responded to a report of gunshots in the area. They found two men lying on the side of the road, each with gunshot wounds. Despite life-saving efforts, the victims did not survive their injuries.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Homicide Unit assumed responsibility for the investigation.
The County Medical Examiner's Office conducted an autopsy and identified the victims as 17-year-old Christopher Brandon Vigil and 30-year-old Patrick John Greene. The cause of death was gunshot wounds, and the manner of their deaths was homicide for both victims.
An extensive investigation was performed, but did not yield a suspect. Sheriff's Homicide Cold Case Team kept working on the case and in March of 2022 developed new evidence pointing to Romero. The new evidence in this case is being withheld as the case is being actively prosecuted.
“On Wednesday, April 13 just after 7 p.m., agents from the San Diego Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested Romero, 45, near his house in National City,” says Lt. Chris Steffen with the Sheriff’s Homicide Unit.
Romero was booked into the San Diego Central Jail for two counts of murder. Sheriff's Homicide Detectives notified the families of Vigil and Greene regarding the arrest.
The investigation into the murders of Vigil and Greene are ongoing. The circumstances and motivations of this case are still under investigation. The criminal case has been submitted to the San Diego District Attorney's Office for review. Further media inquiries should be directed to the D.A.'s Office.
Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to call the Sheriff's Homicide Unit at (858) 285-6330. After hours call our non-emergency line at (858) 565-5200. You can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers tip line at (888) 580-8477. Visit the Crime Stoppers website at www.sdcrimestoppers.org for more information on how to send anonymous web and mobile app tips.
For a link to the cold case flyer previously issued about this case, click here.
Recent comments