WATSONVILLE—A Watsonville man was arrested Dec. 9 after a man he punched during a fight died one week later.
Jose Figueroa Gonzalez, 30, is facing manslaughter charges for the Dec. 2 fight outside the Burger King restaurant on Main Street at Riverside Drive.
That night, officers responded to a report of a fight that left a man lying on the ground, said WPD spokeswoman Michelle Pulido. When officers arrived, they found the 43-year-old victim unconscious with a “severe head injury,” Pulido said. The suspect, later identified as Figueroa Gonzalez, had reportedly left the scene in a vehicle before police arrived.
Pulido said Figueroa Gonzalez was arrested on Dec. 9 as he was leaving his home. She said Figueroa Gonzalez was booked into County Jail and has been cooperative with detectives.
The victim was taken to a local trauma center where he was kept in the ICU for several days, Pulido said, before being transferred to Stanford Medical Center. The man, who has not been identified, was declared brain dead by Stanford doctors on Dec. 9.
On the night of the fight, surveillance video captured the single punch being thrown by Figueroa Gonzalez and the victim collapsing. Detectives found evidence at the scene, which was analyzed by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Unit. That evidence helped lead detectives to identify Figueroa Gonzalez as the suspect.
An autopsy revealed the victim died from blunt force trauma to the head, Pulido said.
“We believe this incident was a random act of violence that ended tragically,” Pulido said.
Figueroa Gonzalez has been charged with voluntary manslaughter and other assault-related charges.
He made his first court appearance Tuesday morning in Santa Cruz Superior Court and is out of custody on $50,000 posted bail.
Reporter Todd Guild contributed to this story.
