Padres fan and her child die after ‘suspicious’ fall at Petco Park
By Josh Hill
A 40-year old Padres fan and a two-year old son died after falling from the third level concourse at Petco Park on Saturday night.
Two fans are dead in what police are calling a ‘suspicious’ fall from the third level concourse of Petco Park in San Diego.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, a 40-year old woman and her two-year-old son both fell an equivalent of six stories onto Tony Gwynn Drive shortly before the first pitch of Saturday’s game between the Padres and Braves.
A witness told the Union-Tribune that the child fell first and the woman soon after, as it appeared she was trying to catch her son from falling.
Another witness who didn’t wish to be identified also gave details:
"A man who did not wish to be identified said his wife witnessed the fall. She told him that it appeared a toddler fell from an area with picnic tables, and the woman also fell while trying to grab the child."
Police say that the husband of the family was in attendance at the game, and that it was too early to rule whether the deaths were accidental or intentional.
The deaths were confirmed at 4:11pm local time, although the game’s start was not altered due to the tragic events.
Word about what had happened spread throughout the ballpark to fans at the game, who admitted that baseball was the last thing that was on anyone’s mind.
“I’m just sitting in my seat crying,” one fan tweeted, per the Union-Tribune. “Wtf even matters right now on the field knowing what went down here. If anyone is at Petco and needs a hug I’m down. This is beyond devastating.”