Man fatally stabbed at hotel in Gaslamp Quarter; suspect in custody

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- A 38-year-old man was fatally stabbed inside a Gaslamp Quarter hotel on Wednesday evening, prompting a homicide investigation by San Diego Police.

Officers responded to the Golden West Hotel at 720 4th Ave. just before 7 p.m. on after receiving a report of a stabbing on the second floor of the building. When officers arrived, they found the victim suffering from stab wounds and immediately began life-saving efforts until paramedics from San Diego Fire-Rescue arrived.

The man was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The victim’s identity is being withheld at this time, with police only describing him as a 38-year-old Black man.

Police say the suspect fled the scene following the stabbing but soon after called San Diego Police Dispatch to turn himself in. Officers arrested the suspect without incident on the 1500 block of India Street.

Homicide detectives say early evidence indicates the suspect and victim were involved in an argument that escalated into a physical fight, ultimately resulting in the deadly stabbing.

The suspect has been identified as Rene Lunar, a 44-year-old Hispanic man.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the San Diego Police Department’s Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477

The homicide investigation was the second of the day for San Diego police, as another one happened in Miramar earlier in the evening.