Authorities Wednesday publicly identified a mother and child who died last weekend in a fall from a third-floor concourse at Petco Park just prior to a San Diego Padres game.
Raquel Wilkins, 40, and 2-year-old Denzel Browning-Wilkins died shortly before 4 p.m. Saturday on the sidewalk where they landed in the 200 bock of Tony Gwynn Way, on the west side of the downtown ballpark, according to police.
How the San Diego woman and her toddler came to plunge off the edge of the stadium remains unclear.
"The victims' deaths appeared to be suspicious, and out of an abundance of caution the San Diego Police Homicide Unit was called to the scene," Lt. Andra Brown said Wednesday afternoon. "The investigation is ongoing, and detectives are still in the process of interviewing witnesses and attempting to locate evidence."
Wilkins and her child were in a dining and concession area when they fell, according to police.
"How and why this happened are questions on the mind of many, especially the investigators looking for answers in this heartbreaking case. ... Due to the large crowd present at the time of the incident, detectives have been interviewing numerous witnesses, and more are coming forward," the lieutenant said.
Witnesses told multiple media outlets that the woman climbed on a picnic bench on the concourse and fell to the floor, then climbed back on the bench a short time later with her child and fell again, this time over the railing.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477 or contact the agency online at sdcrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may remain anonymous.
