$15K Reward Offered In Killing Of Navy Sailor In La Mesa

LA MESA, CA — Authorities announced a $15,000 reward and asked for the public's help Wednesday in identifying and finding the suspects responsible for the murder of a Navy sailor in 2021 in eastern San Diego County.

The shooting happened shortly before 12:30 a.m. April 24, 2021, in the doorway of an apartment at 4306 Echo Court in La Mesa, according to San Diego County Crime Stoppers. Officers with the La Mesa Police Department responded to calls of gunshots and found a gunshot victim inside the home.

The victim was identified as Cornelius Donte Brown, 22, an active-duty sailor stationed at Naval Base Coronado.

"According to witnesses who were inside the apartment, Brown was shot when he answered an unexpected knock at the front door," police said in a news release. "Upon opening the door, Brown encountered two suspects. One of the suspects fired multiple shots at Brown."

Brown suffered from multiple gunshots to his upper body and was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego, where he died during surgery, police said.

The suspects ran southbound on Echo Court and then eastbound on Echo Drive, police said. Both suspects were described as Black men wearing ski masks and black hooded sweatshirts.

The victim's family is offering a $9,000 reward in addition to $1,000 from San Diego County Crime Stoppers and $5,000 from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Anyone with information about the case was asked to call the La Mesa Police Department at 619-667-7533 or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 888-580-8477. Tipsters can also contact the NCIS Southwest Field Office at 619-556-1364