2 Dead After Early Morning Incident at Lake Merritt
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- Two Oakland residents died in an apparent drowning in Lake Merritt early Thursday morning and police are investigating one of the deaths as a homicide.
Police officers and fire crews responded around 4:15 a.m. to the area of the water near Lakeshore Boulevard and Hanover Avenue after a witness reported that two people appeared to be drowning.
Four police officers went in to try to rescue the victims. A man, later identified as 39-year-old Michael Grace, was found and taken to a hospital where he died, according to police.
Police said around 7:30 a.m. that the female victim, identified as 24-year-old Tayana Johnson, was also found and pronounced dead.
Investigators say Grace and Johnson were dating and had gotten into some kind of physical altercation. They're investigating Johnson's death as a homicide but say that Grace's death appears to be accidental.
The case remains under investigation and anyone with information is encouraged to call the Oakland police homicide division at (510) 238-3821.
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