A San Diego apartment complex has been left shaken after a horrifying incident in which a man allegedly threw his girlfriend off a third-story balcony — killing her — after she tossed some of his belongings over the edge during an argument.
The victim, 61-year-old Irene Williams, suffered severe head trauma and a broken femur. She was rushed to the hospital by paramedics but died shortly after arrival. Her boyfriend, 57-year-old Albert Turner, is now facing a first-degree murder charge, according to the San Diego Police Department.
The shocking scene unfolded around 7:20 p.m. Monday at a residential complex in the 500 block of West San Ysidro Boulevard. Several witnesses called 911 to report a man throwing a woman from a balcony during a loud argument.
Detectives later determined that Williams and Turner had gotten into a dispute during which she allegedly threw some of his items over the railing outside their unit. In what police are calling a deadly act of retaliation, Turner allegedly grabbed her from behind and hurled her over the third-floor balcony.
One neighbor, Charles Riddle, said he witnessed the entire thing.
“I’m truly traumatized by what I’ve seen,” Riddle told NBC San Diego. “Before I made it to my car I hear a commotion and I turn around and he’s gotten ahold of her from behind and he heaves her over the balcony. She cartwheels and hits head first on the ground.”
Another resident described the terrifying imbalance between the two, calling Williams a “frail, little old lady” and noting that Turner was “a big, muscular guy.” That neighbor added that Turner had only recently moved in with Williams — just weeks before the fatal altercation.
Police say Turner remained at the scene and was arrested without incident. He is currently being held at the San Diego County Jail without bond and is expected to appear in court on Thursday.
What started as a domestic argument ended in a deadly act of violence — one that has left neighbors reeling and a community demanding justice for Irene Williams.
