70-year-old man identified as victim of deadly Eastbank Esplanade assault
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- One week after the incident, the man who died after being assaulted on the Eastbank Esplanade was identified by authorities Friday afternoon.
According to Portland police, John A. Garcia, 70, died after being assaulted early on March 22, while on the Eastbank Esplanade near the Hawthorne Bridge.
His suspected assailant, Abel Nistor, 29, was taken into custody at the scene and faces a second-degree murder charge. KOIN 6 News dug into Nistor’s background. In 2015, court records show he pleaded guilty to killing his family dog with a knife and hammer. He later said, “I killed the dog in the cruelest way possible and I kind of liked it.”
The Medical Examiner said that Garcia died of blunt force trauma to the head.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Portland police.