San Diego police said the woman found dead inside a Bay Park home on Monday had a temporary restraining order against her husband, the same man who allegedly crashed a pickup truck into the residence moments before her body was discovered.
According to the San Diego Police Department, the victim was identified as Monica Coates, 61. Police said Coates called 911 around 7:40 a.m. from her home in the 4300 block of Dakota Drive to report that her husband, Stephen Coates, 62, had intentionally crashed his pickup truck into the house.
Officers also received multiple calls from neighbors reporting the collision. One neighbor told police they heard screaming coming from inside the home after the crash occurred, according to SDPD.
When officers arrived, they observed smoke and a small fire inside the residence. Monica Coates was found dead inside the master bathroom with severe burn-related injuries, police said.
Stephen Coates was also located inside the same bathroom suffering from burn injuries. Officers detained him at the scene and provided medical aid before he was transported to a hospital for treatment.
Firefighters with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department responded to extinguish the fire and shut off utilities, while homicide detectives were called in to investigate the incident.
Detectives later determined that Stephen Coates was driving the Toyota Tacoma that crashed into the home and was responsible for starting the fire that followed, police said. Investigators confirmed that Monica was the only person inside the house at the time of the crash.
Police said Monica Coates had a temporary restraining order against her husband. According to court documents, she reported on November 8 that her husband demanded she remove her clothing so he could inspect her body due to accusations he made against her. The documents state she left the home to seek safety with a friend.
Court records further indicate that when Monica returned home the following day, she found that her husband had allegedly booby-trapped the interior of the residence with fishing line and bolted the front door mail slot with a metal plate.
In a letter submitted to the court, Monica wrote that she contacted the Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT), which met her at the home and took her husband for evaluation. He was admitted to a hospital but was released earlier than doctors recommended, according to her statement.
San Diego police have since arrested Stephen Coates on a charge of murder. The fire itself remains under investigation by San Diego’s Metro Arson Strike Team.
Authorities said the investigation is ongoing and additional details will be released as they become available.
