Police: Man Fatally Beats Grandmother With Bat In South Bay

CHULA VISTA, CA — An 18-year-old South Bay resident allegedly beat his grandmother to death with a baseball bat in their home early Tuesday before getting into a brief police standoff that ended with his arrest.

Officers responding to a report of a domestic assault in the 1500 block of Melrose Avenue in Chula Vista arrived at about 1 a.m. to find Adrian Gutierrez standing in the family's living room, according to police.

Seeing the officers, he allegedly ran off, locked himself inside a bedroom and armed himself with a knife, Lt. Dan Peak said.

Police found Gutierrez's mortally wounded grandmother, Diana Diaz, 62, on the floor of another bedroom.

"She was unresponsive, with serious signs of trauma on her body," Peak said.

Paramedics took Diaz to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

After negotiating with Chula Vista police officers for a short time, Gutierrez surrendered peacefully and was booked into county jail on suspicion of murder.

Exactly what precipitated the deadly violence was unclear.

"The investigation is still ongoing, but (detectives have) been able to determine Gutierrez has suffered from past mental health issues," Peak said. "During witness questioning, investigators also learned Diaz reported being attacked by her grandson with a baseball bat prior to passing away."