A famous Santa Monica determine answerable for boosting enterprise, group and security within the metropolis’s downtown core was discovered useless inside his Venice dwelling alongside his spouse, authorities mentioned.
The Los Angeles Police Division responded to a capturing incident reported within the 600 block of Superba Avenue at 10:50 a.m. Tuesday, in accordance with a division spokesperson.
Inside, they discovered Jeremy Ferguson, who served as director of operations for the nonprofit group Downtown Santa Monica Inc., and his spouse, Mandy Zelinka, with deadly gunshot wounds, a legislation enforcement supply accustomed to the incident informed The Occasions.
The incident is being investigated as a attainable murder-suicide, the LAPD spokesperson mentioned.
Debbie Lee, the chief government of DTSM, mentioned in a press release Wednesday that the group was heartbroken as workers processed the information of Ferguson’s demise.
“Jeremy was a cherished member of our workforce and a real champion for Downtown Santa Monica,” she mentioned. “His ardour for placemaking and the dedication he dropped at his work every day made a long-lasting affect. He shall be deeply missed.”
The L.A. County medical expert confirmed that Zelinka, 49, died Tuesday at a residence.
DTSM is a nonprofit group that works with town of Santa Monica to advertise financial improvement and group occasions within the downtown enterprise district. It’s funded by a mix of property assessments, enterprise license tax, metropolis contracts and occasion income.
Ferguson introduced greater than 25 years of public-sector expertise to his position with the group, the place he oversaw a redesign of town’s annual vacation ice-skating rink and helped launch town’s first out of doors seasonal roller-skating rink, in accordance with reporting from the Santa Monica Each day Press.
