Wednesday, Jan 19, 2022. 3:29 PM
A woman who died at Petco Park while holding her infant son last September has committed suicide, according to a statement released Wednesday by the San Diego Police Department. Authorities have ruled her two-year-old son’s death a homicide, ESPN reports.
Raquel Wilkins, 40, and her son, Denzel Browning-Wilkins of San Diego, fell around 3:50 p.m. on September 25 as baseball fans headed to the stadium for a Padres game against the Atlanta Braves .
Wednesday’s statement said detectives “conducted a thorough and comprehensive investigation that included dozens of interviews, review of available video footage and gathering background information to determine what led to the deaths.” He said the decision was made in consultation with the San Diego County Medical Examiner.
Lt. Adam Sharki said San Diego police would not release any further information about the case.
Wilkins and his son were pronounced dead at 4:11 p.m., about 20 minutes after police were alerted. The mother and child had fallen from the concessions area in the third floor lobby – the equivalent of six stories high – onto a sidewalk in the Tony Gwynn Way, police said. The child’s father was also at the stadium, police added.
In a previous statement, San Diego police officials called the deaths “suspicious” and the department’s homicide unit was called in to investigate. At least one witness told Fox 5 from San Diego that Wilkins jumped onto a bench and laughed before losing his balance and falling.
Dan Gilleon, an attorney who represents Wilkins’ parents and sisters, expressed disappointment Wednesday at the lack of information from police about the investigation and how it reached its conclusions.
Gilleon said a wrongful death lawsuit is pending against Petco Park and the City of San Diego, and he expects to file a liability suit with the city in about a week.
