Police renewed their search for the person responsible for fatally beating a homeless man with a skateboard in North Park, offering a reward for information that leads to an arrest.
Arthur Angulo, 55, of San Diego was sleeping in an alleyway in Sept. 2017, when he was approached by a man carrying a skateboard. Without warning, the stranger began smashing the skateboard over the victim's head multiple times.
On Thursday, the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) and San Diego County Crime Stoppers released a photo of the two-door white sedan, possibly a Honda Accord, that they believe the suspect took off in. He entered through the passenger side door.
The suspect was described as a man in his late teens to early 20's with shoulder length hair. They said he is about 6-feet tall and was wearing gray shorts and a dark shirt. He was carrying a skateboard.
At the time of the attack, a married couple who lives near the alley heard a commotion and rushed outside to discover Angulo lying flat on the ground outside their home, drenched in blood. They immediately alerted the authorities.
Paramedics arrived and transported Angulo to Mercy Hospital where he was placed on life support with life-threatening head injuries. Less than a week later, doctors took him off life support. His organs were donated.
Police said the attack took place just after 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 16, 2017 in an alley off El Cajon Boulevard, behind a Jack in the Box restaurant.
In September, SDPD Lt. Todd Griffin told NBC 7 there appears to be a motive behind the killing, but it was not yet clear exactly what led up to the incident.
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"We think there was some type of a confrontation, some sort of incident that led these two together and that’s what led to this confrontation," Griffin said. "From that aspect, it wasn’t random in nature. We believe Mr. Angulo was the intended target. We’re not sure of a reason or why this happened."
Griffin said the department does not believe the incident is a public safety issue or that there will be violence directed toward transients in the future.
"We’re confident that this is (random), and I say confident because we haven’t had similar types since then, certainly nothing that mirrors this specific one," Griffin said.
Crime Stoppers offered a $1,000 reward to anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest in the case. Anonymous tips can be made online or by calling (888) 580-8477. SDPD Homicide Unit can be reached at (619) 531-2293.
