A 37-year-old Carlsbad woman found dead along a hiking trail in Big Sur is being remembered by friends and family, as the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the case.

Authorities say the death of Joanna Shields is considered suspicious, but not a homicide. Investigators also say there is no danger to the community related to the case.

Shields, a former brand ambassador for Evolve Skateboard in Oceanside, was described by those who knew her as energetic and deeply connected to her community.

Brandon Devroede, operations manager at Evolve Skateboard, said the news of her death has been difficult to process.

“Shocking, surprising, something none of us would have expected, nothing we would have hoped to happen to anybody especially not her,” said Devroede.

Devroede said Shields made a lasting impact through her passion for skateboarding and her relationships with others. “Joanna was not just a friend to all of us here. She was a big part of the community. Her skating hobby and her life revolved around that, which is what so many people knew of her. She was an awesome coworker of ours, helped so many not just customers but made friends that way. This just became her family and you know, we’ll definitely miss that.”

Shields’ family, who owns Vinaka Café in Carlsbad, shared their grief in a post on Instagram. “Our family is grieving the loss our of youngest. She was a bright soul in our community and will be missed by so many.”

According to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, what were initially believed to be ligature marks on Shields’ neck were actually a trail of ant bites, not signs of strangulation. A sheriff’s commander also said there is no information supporting earlier reports of a skull fracture.

For those who knew Shields, the uncertainty surrounding her death has only added to the heartbreak. “I don’t think there are any words that can describe what happened, even though we may not know that happened, I think we just want to know the truth of what happened but at same time we never expected this and wish we could reverse that,” Devroede said.

Investigators are waiting for toxicology results from a state forensics lab to determine the cause of death — a process that could take six to eight weeks. The investigation remains open.

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This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.

Guard BJ Davis is transferring from the San Diego State Aztecs  to the Creighton Blue Jays. 

Davis was the first Aztecs player whose plans to transfer became public after the Aztecs failed to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six seasons.

Davis made a buzzer-beating layup to beat New Mexico in the semifinals of the Mountain West Tournament, but the Aztecs lost the championship game to Utah State and were snubbed by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee for an at-large berth because of a weak resume.

He is the fourth of the six Aztecs players in the portal to find a new home. Wing Miles Byrd committed to Providence, forward Pharoh Compton signed with Oregon and Magoon Gwath landed at DePaul. 

That leaves forward Miles Heide and guard Taj DeGourville looking for new homes via the portal. 

What this means in the big picture

In an interesting twist, Davis, Gwath and Byrd will play against each other in the Big East. 

Only Creighton finished in the top half of the Big East last season, at 9-11 in conference and 16-18 overall. DePaul was 8-12 and 16-16, while Providence finished 7-13 and 15-18. 

Creighton lost to Seton Hall in the Big East tournament quarterfinals and then played in The Crown, where it beat Rutgers and lost to West Valley.

The Aztecs, meanwhile, have landed Rice guard Nick Anderson and Sacramento State forward Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry.

Who is BJ Davis?

Davis just finished his junior season. He came to SDSU from Modesto Christian High, where he was a four-star prospect, according to 247Sports.com. At the time of his signing, he was the No. 122 recruit nationally, the No. 17 point guard and No. 18 overall in California. He picked SDSU over schools like Boise State, Wyoming, Fresno State and Washington State. 

Why Davis was important to the Aztecs

Davis was one of five players who played in all 33 games for the Aztecs and was the leader of the No. 2-ranked scoring bench in the nation. His role was important enough that he was named All-MW honorable mention.

He was second in scoring at 10.8 points per game, third in minutes at 22.2, fifth in assists at 2.2 and second in steals at 1.1.

Davis became a key player off the bench early in the season. At one point he was the team’s leading scorer despite not having made a start, and scored in double figures for seven straight games early on. 

He was moved into the starting lineup for seven straight games midway through the Mountain West schedule when injuries sidelined freshman guard Elzie Harrington and forward Magoon Gwath. 

He finished the season as an important bench player. 

Davis’ big moments

Davis is perhaps best remembered for his steal and 3-pointer that sent a home game against Boise State into a second overtime on Jan. 3. The Aztecs ended up winning 110-107 in three overtimes after blowing a 24-point lead during regulation. 

Davis finished the regular season on a high note by scoring a career high 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting, including 4-of-8 from 3-point line, in a home win against UNLV on March 6.

He then beat the Lobos with a layup in the closing seconds of the MW tourney semis.

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A woman was injured after a shooting involving a police officer in the East Village Wednesday evening.

The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) said that officers were investigating a shooting involving an officer that happened near 16th Street and Island Avenue around 5 p.m.

Officials told our FOX 5/KUSI reporter Kasia Gregorczyk that officers received a call about an assault with a deadly weapon. When they arrived at the scene, they found a woman allegedly attempting to stab a man with a sharp object.

The woman then reportedly did not comply with police orders to drop the weapon, and multiple rounds were fired. Officials said the woman was shot at least once in the torso by an officer.

Lt. Juan Marquez with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit said the suspect was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The San Diego Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting, which is protocol for shootings involving San Diego police.

A witness at the scene said that the woman appeared to be homeless and was fighting with another homeless person before the shooting happened.

Police said that there were no threats to the public and that traffic in the area would be affected for several hours.

The Sheriff’s Office said that San Diego police plans to release body cam footage of the incident late next week.