A man arrested and charged with assault in New Haven told police he had confronted two people smoking drugs on his porch and they got into a fight.
When police arrived at Lloyd and Exchange streets at 9 a.m. on Saturday to investigate an assault, they found Manuel Vega-Ruiz, 51, unconscious and suffering from a wound to the back of his head and EMTs transported Vega-Ruiz to Yale–New Haven Hospital.
As police investigated, a witness described the man who assaulted the victim -- a man wearing shorts and a red-and-black striped shirt.
Minutes later, they spotted Kelly Mack, 42, of New Haven, walking down on Lloyd Street and stopped him.
He admitted he was involved and offered his version of what happened, police said.
He told officers that he’d opened his front door and found two men smoking drugs on his front steps, including one who was holding a metal pipe.
He didn’t know either of them, confronted them and they all ended up fighting, police said.
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Mack said he hit one of the men in the face, unconscious. The other fled in a nearby car, police said.
A witness gave a similar account of what happened.
Police learned at 1 a.m. on Aug. 2 that Vega-Ruiz never regained consciousness and was dead.
His family members said he’d recently moved to New Haven from Florida, hadn’t yet found a permanent residence and had been staying with his nephew in New Haven.
He was charged with second-degree assault and is in custody.
Police are still investigating and will determine any future charges against Mack.
