San Diego

A 38-year-old man became the city’s first homicide victim of 1990 when an apparent argument over drugs in Southeast San Diego ended with a shotgun blast, police reported Tuesday.

Roberto Jose Ayala of San Diego was arguing with two men when one of them shot him in the face with a shotgun, police said.

There have been no arrests in the slaying, but police said their investigation has uncovered leads. Monday’s 8:30 p.m. shooting occurred in the 3600 block of Ocean View Boulevard. No weapon was found.

Ayala was shot “at very close range, and was dead at the scene,” police said.

Witnesses told police that Ayala and two men were arguing over the right to deal drugs at the location. One of the men left, then returned with a shotgun, aimed it at Ayala’s face and fired once.

The site where the slaying occurred is “a pretty high narcotics use and sales area,” said Sgt. Jim Duncan.