Victims were ‘likely’ on way to restraining order hearing vs. man who shot them

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The San Diego Police Department says the
were likely on the way to a restraining order hearing against the man who shot and killed them.
According to SDPD’s press release, the victims who were found shot and killed in their car just a block up the road from the courthouse were identified as a married couple: 31-year-old Rachael Martinez and Jose Medina, 39. SDPD says the shooter, 26-year-old Christopher Farrell, had started dating Martinez in Aug. 2024, and she later filed a police report accusing him of domestic violence, false imprisonment and sex crimes on Oct. 4.
After the shooting near the courthouse, Farrell was ultimately confronted by police in Little Italy, where, after a shootout, he was shot and killed. A Harbor Police officer was also shot in that exchange but is now recovering.
SDPD officers obtained an emergency protective order for Martinez following her Oct. 4 report. The initial investigation showed Farrell was a security guard for Inter-Con Security, which works with the Metropolitan Transit System on a contract basis. The press release says the officers responded to an MTS office at 1600 Newton Ave. and arrested Farrell, booking him into San Diego County Jail.
He was fired from his job, and his work weapon was taken from him, SDPD says.
A detective from SDPD’s domestic violence unit took up the case, and he re-interviewed Martinez and consulted with a prosecutor specializing
in domestic violence, the department says.
SDPD says at that point, the case had “insufficient evidence and corroboration to immediately move forward.”
On Oct. 7, Martinez was granted a temporary restraining order against Farrell; however, SDPD says it’s unclear if he was ever served with the order.
The restraining order hearing was continued to Nov. 13, the day Martinez and Medina were gunned down.
“It appears likely that Martinez and Medina had arrived near the courthouse for the purpose of attending the restraining order hearing,” SDPD’s press release says.
ABC 10News has obtained the court document that shows Farrell was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday for that restraining order hearing. According to the documents, Martinez and Medina filed the order against him. In her filing, Martinez says Farrell began harassing she and her husband once he learned she was married.
The court document states that one day in September, Martinez went to confront Farrell at his apartment, and once inside, she says he physically and sexually assaulted her.
SDPD says its detectives are continuing to investigate the case. If you have any information for police about this case, reach out to the homicide unit at 619-531-2293 or call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.