Authorities tight-lipped over death of Rainbow couple

Authorities have remained tight-lipped over the investigation taking place into the death of a couple believed to be the longtime owners of a nursery in Rainbow.

“We won’t be releasing any details about this incident in case this ends up being a criminal case; it is still an active investigation,” said Sheriff’s Homicide Lt. Glenn Giannantonio on July 31.

The bodies of the couple were discovered by firefighters when they were called to battle a residential house fire on the nursery property shortly after midnight on Friday, July 18 in the 1800 block of Rice Canyon Road.

Giannantonio said the San Diego County Medical Examiner has not released positive identifications on the couple, but has made contact with relatives of the nursery property owners who lived in the home.

“The Medical Examiner has determined the cause of their deaths but not the manner of death at this time,” he said. “We have sealed the autopsy in the event this becomes a criminal case.”

Giannantonio explained that a “cause of death” reveals what physically caused the individuals to die.

“The manner of death is the action that led to that cause of death,” he said. “In that regard, it has to be determined if the death was caused by another person, if it was an accident, or, in this, potentially a suicide.”

“We need to determine whether this was an intentional action or not,” said Giannantonio. “There is also a possibility that the manner may not be able to be

determined.”

Currently, the Sheriff’s Dept., Homicide Detail, and Bomb/Arson Unit are working collectively on the ongoing investigation.

“We are very thorough and meticulous; we also have various items undergoing lab studies,” said Giannantonio.