Man on trial over punching death

USA - The man accused of punching a tourist so hard he later died appeared in court Wednesday morning at the Regional Justice Center. Police say 27-year-old James Beach, also known as James Michael Garcia, is the suspect in the death of Luis Campos, who died four days after being punched while waiting outside the Vanguard Nightclub.

From the defendant’s mother, to his fiancé, cousins and brother, the courtroom was nearly filled with his supporters. According to his arrest report, Beach told police that after an argument with Campos outside the club, he hit the man once on the left side of his face. Campos, a father of five, was reportedly knocked unconscious. He was taken to UMC Trauma and four days later was pronounced dead. Campos was visiting Las Vegas from the Los Angeles area for his brother’s bachelor party.

Beach’s arrest report states the Medical Examiner Doctor found Campos’ cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head.

In his interview with officers, Beach added that after the punch, he left the scene because he didn’t want the situation to get escalated and he did not want to get arrested. He adds when he heard about Campos’ death, he called his attorney and had planned to turned himself in. Beach was reportedly arrested at home. Beach didn’t speak in court, but his attorney did after the hearing. Defense attorney Greg Knapp says beach wants “everyone to know” one thing: Beach is sorry. “He feels very bad for the family, the victim’s children, for his wife and his apologies, my apologies go out to them. Our respects to them and I think once it comes out, we will see that it was a terrible accident. An unfortunate event,” said Knapp. Following his bail hearing on Friday, Beach is set to be back in court for his preliminary hearing on May 24.

(KSNV News3LV)