Teen accused of killing homeless woman in San Diego allegedly said he was ‘hobo hunting’

SAN DIEGO (TCD) — An 18-year-old and 19-year-old were arrested last week after they allegedly shot and killed a homeless woman with a pellet gun in May.

According to the San Diego Police Department, in the early morning hours of May 8, officers from the department’s Neighborhood Policing Division found an unconscious female on the 3300 block of Sandrock Road. They tried to wake her up, but she remained unresponsive. Paramedics arrived at the scene and were “unable to determine why the woman was unresponsive.”

Medics transported her to a local hospital, where doctors determined the victim had been shot several times with a pellet gun and her wounds were “non-survivable.” The victim, who police identified as 68-year-old Annette Pershal, died three days later on May 11.

Officials from the hospital spoke with the San Diego Police Department, and detectives from the Homicide Unit began investigating. Detectives concluded Pershal was most likely homeless when she was killed. On July 31, the medical examiner concluded Pershal’s death was a homicide.

According to police, detectives identified two suspects and arrested 19-year-old Ryan Hopkins and 18-year-old William Innes.

San Diego County Jail records show Innes is charged with first-degree murder, possession of an assault weapon, and two counts of failure to embed steel in firearm, while Hopkins was booked on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon that is not a firearm.

NBC San Diego reports Innes and Hopkins both pleaded not guilty.

Hopkins allegedly drove Innes to the area where Innes allegedly shot Pershal. Innes reportedly sent a group text that said, “I’m going hobo hunting with a gun.”

Pershal suffered wounds to the head, torso, and leg. Investigators located an air rifle in Innes’ home, according to NBC San Diego.

Both men are being held without bail.

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