Detectives from the San Diego County Sheriff’s, Coronado Police and the California Justice departments are investigating the circumstances around the death of Rebecca Nalepa, 32, the girlfriend of mansion owner Jonah Shacknai, a pharmaceutical industry executive.
Nalepa — also known by her maiden name, Rebecca Zahau — was found in the courtyard of the mansion on July 13. The Sheriff’s Department has said it cannot yet conclude whether her death was suicide or a “criminal event.”
The homicide unit is waiting on results from forensic evidence and toxicology tests. A search warrant was served on the mansion but investigators declined to say what was found.
“We understand the concerns and questions of the public, but the San Diego Sheriff’s Department does not rely on hearsay, rumor or speculation,” officials said in a statement.
Among other things, investigators are interviewing anyone who spoke to Nalepa in the hours and days before her death.
Separately, the Coronado Police Department is investigating the death of 6-year-old Max Shacknai, the son of the owner. The boy fell down the stairs at the mansion on July 11 and was rushed to Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, where he died July 17.
Read the entire LA Times article here.
