Road rage fight in Los Angeles area leaves 1 man dead; witness says he was 'cold-cocked

 

Road rage fight in Los Angeles area leaves 1 man dead; witness says he was 'cold-cocked

A fight between two drivers in a Los Angeles-area parking lot has left a 68-year-old man dead.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department responded to reports of a "minor traffic collision" involving two men in a convenience store parking lot in West Hollywood just before 1 p.m. on Tuesday, according to a department news release.

When deputies arrived on scene, they found Armando Gabriel, 68, lying unresponsive on the sidewalk. He was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.

Deputies learned that Gabriel and another man, 48-year-old Ramon Casas, got into an argument after the crash, which escalated into a physical fight. Casas assaulted Gabriel, knocking him unconscious, the sheriff's office said.

Sean Harrison, a bystander, told KTLA-TV. that he was grabbing a bite to eat at a neighboring Mexican restaurant when the fight went down. Harrison said he saw Casas, who was larger than Gabriel, throw the first punch.

“Just cold-cocked this guy in the face ... but it didn’t look like it was a punch that would kill someone," Harrison told the station. "Just one punch. You never know and that’s why I’m like, ‘(Expletive), I’m going to keep my mouth shut.”

Man throwing punches arrested, faces charges

Deputies detained Casas at the scene, arresting and booking him on a murder charge, the news release says. He was held on a $2 million dollar bond and had a court appearance scheduled for Thursday.

USA TODAY could not immediately find an attorney representing Casas.

The sheriff's office said they were continuing their investigation into the circumstances that led up to Gabriel's death.