San Jose man and 24-year-old woman found dead in 7-Eleven bathroom in Santa Cruz

By Alia Wilson

SANTA CRUZ — Santa Cruz police said two people died at convenience store Friday morning in what is likely a murder-suicide.

Police said they went to the 7-Eleven at Ocean Street and Broadway at 9:45 a.m. Friday after customers told officers the store was open but had no clerk. Police searched the building and forced open the store's bathroom, where they found two bodies, according to Capt. Steve Clark.

The clerk, a 24-year-old Santa Cruz woman, had suffered gunshot wounds and was dead, Clark said. Lying next to her was the body of a 42-year-old San Jose man who also had been shot.

"All indications point to a murder-suicide," he said.

Police believe the couple were in a dating relationship and that the man shot the woman then himself during a domestic violence incident. Investigators found a gun next to the man, said Zach Friend, police spokesman. Police are still investigating what started the deadly incident. Officers said no one reported hearing gunshots.

"This is a tragic way to start the new year," Clark said. "Hopefully this is not indicative of the year to come."

Detectives are reviewing the store's surveillance tapes, and members of the state's Department of Justice are helping police process the scene. Police said the two agencies are trying to re-create the situation using the DOJ's forensic expertise to create a timeline of what happened.

"We had four homicides in 2009," Friend said. "It was a difficult year for violence, definitely. We are hopeful this won't be a trend."

From: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14107473?source=most_viewed