Man hit and killed, SUV driver arrested on suspicion of murder

An SUV driver was arrested Friday on suspicion of murder after he collided with and killed another man following an early morning altercation, according to Carlsbad police.

At about 3:25 a.m., someone called 911 to report an altercation between two men on Rue Des Chateaux, a dead-end street along the coast south of the mouth of Buena Vista Lagoon.

As police were en route, the 911 caller reported that one of the men had been hit by an SUV, police Lt. Alonso DeVelasco said.

Officers found the victim on the street. Oceanside police and firefighters performed rescue efforts on the man, but he died at the scene.

One of the officers who caused the accident saw a vehicle leaving and followed it south onto Interstate 5. The vehicle took the Poinsettia Lane exit and headed west. Other officers came to assist and police stopped the SUV on Raintree Drive at Avenida Encinas.

They arrested the driver, identified as Robert Owens, a 41-year-old Escondido resident.

Authorities did not release the name of the man killed until his family was notified.

DeVelasco said investigators are working to determine what led up to the incident. It is still unclear whether the two men knew each other, the lieutenant said.

Roberts was booked into Vista Jail on suspicion of murder. Online jail records indicate he could be arraigned on Tuesday.