Residents of an apartment complex in San Diego, California, were left shaken after a man allegedly threw his girlfriend off a third-floor balcony in response to her tossing his possessions over the railing.
Irene Williams, 61, suffered critical head injuries and a broken femur. Paramedics rushed her to the hospital, but she later died from her injuries. Her boyfriend, 57-year-old Albert Turner, now faces a first-degree murder charge, according to a press release from the San Diego Police Department obtained by Law&Crime.
The incident occurred around 7:21 p.m. on Monday at an apartment building located in the 500 block of West San Ysidro Boulevard. Witnesses who called 911 reported seeing a man throw a woman from the balcony. Police later learned that Williams and Turner had been arguing, and during the altercation, Williams allegedly threw some of Turner’s belongings off the balcony in the corridor outside their unit.
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Neighbor Charles Riddle witnessed the terrifying moment.
“I’m truly traumatized by what I’ve seen,” Riddle told NBC affiliate KNSD.
Riddle explained that he was heading to his car when he overheard the couple fighting.
“Before I made it to my car, I hear a commotion and I turn around and he’s gotten ahold of her from behind and he heaves her over the balcony, and she cartwheels and hits head first on the ground,” he said.
According to police, Turner stayed at the scene and was arrested without incident.
Another neighbor, speaking with KNSD, described a stark physical contrast between Turner and Williams.
“I see her around all the time. She’s just a frail, little old lady,” the neighbor said. “He was big, you know, muscular — you know, he was a big guy.”
Neighbors also said Turner had moved in with Williams just a few weeks before the deadly confrontation.
Turner is currently being held at San Diego County Jail with no bond and is set to appear in court on Thursday.
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