Authorities investigating death on Encinitas street

Personnel from the county Medical Examiner’s Office were investigating a person’s death Monday night, Dec. 21, on a street near beachfront homes in Encinitas, a sheriff’s lieutenant said.

(File photo)

Sheriff’s Department officials initially said Monday night the death was suspicious and was being investigated by homicide detectives, but Lt. Ricardo Lopez, a sheriff’s spokesman, said Tuesday, Dec. 22, that wasn’t the case.

Just after 10:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 21, two people found an injured person “face down and covered in blood” near Neptune Avenue and Sylvia Street, San Diego sheriff’s Lt. William Amavisca said.

Deputies responded and were investigating the “suspicious incident,” according to Amavisca.

No other details were available Tuesday, Dec. 22, about the death.

Lopez said homicide detectives may have initially been requested, but ultimately did not respond to conduct an investigation — signaling the death is not thought to be suspicious.

The street where the person was found runs parallel to the ocean, with a row of beachfront homes separating it from cliffs overlooking the sand. The area is about two blocks north of Moonlight State Beach and two blocks south of Stonesteps beach.

— Alex Riggins is a reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune