San Diego police have released the cause of death of a 40-year-old woman and her 2-year-old son who fell from the third level of a baseball park.
Raquel Wilkins, 40, fell from a third-level dining area while holding her son, Denzel Browning Wilkins, 2, before a game between the San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves on September 25, 2021, at San Diego’s Petco Park baseball stadium. The mother and son were pronounced dead on the scene.
Witnesses said at the time that they saw Raquel jumping on table benches nearest the railing, and she appeared to lose her balance before eventually falling over.
Police homicide Lt. Andra Brown said in a statement that Raquel’s death has been classified as a suicide, and her son Denzel’s death has been classified as a homicide. Police initially said that the deaths “appeared to be suspicious.”
The police said: “The detectives conducted a thorough and comprehensive investigation that included dozens of interviews, reviewing of available video footage, and collecting background information to determine what led to the deaths.”
Dan Gilleon, an attorney for the woman’s family, expressed his displeasure and said that the family is considering a lawsuit against the city, which owns 70% of the ballpark.
Gilleon said on Twitter: “SDPD will tell the world that Raquel Wilkins (killed) herself and her baby. But they won’t have the human decency to bother to explain why they think that. Imagine how Raquel’s family feels at such awfulness.”
Gillion expressed their disappointment over the lack of information and accuses San Diego of shirking liability in the deaths at the ballpark. He said the deaths were tragic accidents.
He also said that the investigation’s conclusion is meant to shield the city from potential litigation and that he is going to prepare a file for a wrongful death lawsuit against Petco Park and the city of San Diego.
Gilleon said in a text to The Associated Press: “The city doesn’t want to explain why it concluded that a young mother would kill her only child at an event where witnesses said she was happy. To me, the city is acting like any other defendant in a lawsuit: blame the victim, especially if they are not able to defend themselves.”
He also said the safety value of the railing’s height was “all but negated” by the table she was at being next to it. Railing heights have been an issue in deaths at other ballparks, although such incidents are rare.
Gilleon stated: “All accounts were that she was smiling and having fun until she, for some reason, ended up on the picnic table that was right up against the railing before she fell over it onto the street below.”
In a domestic dispute in 2016, the ex-boyfriend of Raquel said in a court declaration that she had a history of suicidal behavior after she accused him of abuse and sought a restraining order against him.
Gilleon noted this declaration came in response to the woman’s allegations against the ex-boyfriend and said in a text message to USA TODAY Sports that her family never heard or saw of any suicidal ideation with Raquel.
The police described their investigation as “exhaustive” and thanked those who came forward with information.
After being alerted to the incident that day, two officers arrived to discover the bodies on the sidewalk at 200 Tony Gwynn Way. The officers began CPR but determined the woman and child died at the scene because of traumatic injuries.
Police said that the determinations were made in consultation with the San Diego County Medical Examiner and that The San Diego Police Department will not be making any further comment on the case.
Wilkins has left behind her fiancé, the father of the child killed, who was in the stadium at the time of the fall. The couple had gotten engaged the same day, with Raquel announcing her engagement on Facebook hours before she and her son died.
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