What you need to know
- Lisa Thorborg, a resident of Carlsbad, was found dead on a hiking trail that crosses Hosp Grove Park in Carlsbad on November 23, 2020
- A 17-year-old suspect was arrested for her murder on December 14, 2020
- At a hearing on Dec. 22, the witness revealed that the teen’s DNA was found in Thorborg’s shorts; detectives said there was no evidence of theft or sexual assault during the murder
According to testimony heard Tuesday in San Diego Juvenile Court, the DNA of a 17-year-old boy accused of stabbing a woman to death on a hiking trail in Carlsbad was found last month on a hiking trail in Carlsbad .
The teenager, whose police have not released his name because he is a minor, is charged with the murder of 68-year-old Lisa Thorborg.
Thorborg’s body was found on the Hosp Grove track on the morning of November 23rd. His death caused shock waves through Carlsbad.
For three weeks, there were no answers about who had killed the grandmother.
On December 14, the suspected teenager was arrested on a Carlsbad beach in connection with Thorborg’s murder. In his complaint last week, he denied all allegations.
Police arrested a 17-year-old Carlsbad resident in connection with the fatal stabbing of a woman on a popular hiking trail. Alexis Rivas of NBC 7 has more.
Tuesday’s hearing revealed some of the preliminary facts that led Carlsbad police to arrest the boy, who still has a chance of being charged as an adult.
If a judge decides that the adolescent will be tried as an adult, the defendant will be eligible for life without parole.
According to the evidence heard on Tuesday, San Diego Superior Court Judge Richard Monroy ruled that there was enough evidence to allow the case to proceed and that the boy, who pleaded not guilty to the charges last week , continued detained.
Details revealed at the hearing include that the boy’s DNA was found in Thorborg’s shorts and that surveillance images of the nearby area captured a boy similar to the defendant fleeing the park for about 15 years. minutes after police believed Thorborg was murdered.
Data from the license plate reader and surveillance license plate also showed that the boy’s grandmother left him near the park about an hour before the attack.
After Thorborg’s death, police installed a camera in the park. Police alleged that the camera captured footage of the suspect venturing down the runway on several occasions after Nov. 23, often barefoot and wearing flip-flops.
Two pairs of flip-flops were found near the crime scene, including one believed to have belonged to the teenager.
He was allegedly contacted by police in early December and fled
officers, who arrested him, at which point his DNA was taken.
The boy was arrested again on December 14, this time in connection with Thorborg’s fatal stabbing.
Detectives have not revealed the suspected motive for the murder, but stated that the victim was not robbed or sexually assaulted.
According to the document, no pending suspects are being sought in the case
Carlsbad Police Lieutenant Jason Jackowski.
The teenager will return to court on January 25, 2021.
Police arrested a 17-year-old Carlsbad resident in connection with the fatal stabbing of a woman on a popular hiking trail. Alexis Rivas of NBC 7 has more.
The murder of Lisa Thorborg
Thorborg was a beloved grandmother who had moved to Carlsbad with her family just 6 months ago.
On the morning of November 23, detectives from the Carlsbad police department believe Thorborg went hiking alone down a path that runs through Hosp Grove Park, a few blocks from his home.
Investigators said Thorborg had posted some messages on social media in the days leading up to her murder asking if there was anyone around who wanted to go hiking with her.
“Hiking someone?” posted on NextDoor, a social networking site that connects neighbors. “I would love the company.”
The Carlsbad police department is still investigating these sites and whether they had anything to do with the Thorborg murder.
The crime left Carlsbad residents on the sidelines for several weeks.
Earlier this month, police sent a message on social media asking stakeholders not to try to take the investigation into their own hands. Investigators were concerned about the posts on social media circulating in the community, suggesting that civilians, frustrated by the lack of progress in the case, would look for suspects in nearby homeless camps.
Following the arrest of the suspect on December 14, Thorborg’s family issued a statement expressing gratitude for the “outpouring of support, love and generosity” from the Carlsbad community.
Following the news of the arrest, Thorborg’s family issued the following statement, in part:
“Our family moved here with Lisa just six months before her tragic death, and in a year dominated by COVID, there haven’t been many opportunities to meet our new neighbors and make friends. Since the shocking news of Lisa’s death, however, there has been an infinite outpouring of kindness and generosity that literally brings us to tears and warms our hearts. From organizing the ‘Finish Lisa’s Walk’ event at Hosp Grove to the many meals, flowers and gifts we’ve received, we want you to know that we feel so loved and supported by this amazing community. ”
The family said they were confident the police would help do justice to Thorborg.
The weekend after Thorborg’s death, hundreds from the Carlsbad community and beyond organized a “Finish Lisa’s Walk,” a symbolic walk down the same path where the victim was found dead a week earlier.
The community wanted to end the walk that Thorborg could not finish.
It’s been almost three weeks since someone stabbed 68-year-old Lisa Thorborg on a hiking trail, according to Alexis Rivas of NBC 7