Suspect Arrested In Death Of Man At Newport Pier

NEWPORT BEACH (CBSLA) - A suspect was arrested Saturday in connection with the death of a man at the Newport Pier, authorities said.

Police received a call at approximately 12:03 a.m. regarding an unconscious man in the pier area, the Newport Beach Police Department reported.

The victim, Ruben Gonzalez, 59, was pronounced dead at the scene and it was later determined that he was involved in an altercation with the suspect, who was subsequently located in the area and arrested, police said.

Authorities identified the suspect as 22-year-old Ezekial Izaiah Person. He is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, Oct. 20, however, it is unclear if he has been charged for the murder of Gonzalez.

On Sept. 23, a month before the attack on Gonzalez, Person pleaded guilty to multiple counts of assault, including a felony count of assault with a deadly weapon. The court sentenced Person to  168 days in jail but was released immediately as part of his plea deal. Time served was a condition of the deal. Since Person had already served his sentence during the trial he would be released immediately.

Additionally, he was placed on 2-year probation and had to complete a 10-week anger management program.

"This is an isolated incident and there is no ongoing threat to public safety," the department said. "At this time NBPD detectives and Crime Scene Investigation personnel are conducting an active homicide investigation."

Detectives urged anyone with information regarding the death to call them at 949-644-3762 or the department's tip line at 800-550-NBPD.