Two friends from Texas visiting Santa Cruz got into a fight Friday night that left one of them dead and the other under arrest for manslaughter, police reported.
Police responded to a report at 10:58 p.m. on Nov. 17 of two people fighting in the 600 block of Front Street, downtown near the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History. When officers arrived, one man was on the ground, unconscious. Paramedics attempted to revive the man; he was taken to a hospital, where he died.
“They’d been friends for several, several years,” said Deputy Chief Jon Bush of the Santa Cruz Police Department. “It appears they were downtown having a good time drinking, and for some reason they started having an argument. We’re still trying to figure out what it was about.”
Police would not identify either man, both in their 30s, pending notification of the slain man’s family. The man who struck him stayed at the scene and was arrested for voluntary manslaughter.
There were no weapons used in the altercation.
“It was a physical fight where he was struck and fell to the ground,” Bush said. “Whether he died from the physical strike or from hitting his head is unknown — he hit him one time and knocked him down.”
“It’s probably one of those things that happen many times,” Bush added. “Some people get up, live another day. But ultimately, the way he was hit and fell caused trauma that resulted in his death.”
Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the Santa Cruz Police Department Investigations Division at 831-420-5820.
Source: www.mercurynews.com