SANTA MONICA, CA – An unfortunate incident at a popular Santa Monica venue left a longtime bar manager dead last Tuesday. Police reports indicate that a heated dispute began to take place after a customer was asked to leave the premises. This dispute escalated into life-threatening violence, resulting in the fatal assault of the employee.
The man behind the assault, 26-year-old Leonard Hector Korpie, reportedly punched the manager so hard during the altercation that the worker lost consciousness. Despite immediate lifesaving interventions from the Santa Monica police and fire departments, the bar manager could not be saved. He was subsequently pronounced dead while he was at the hospital.
The man, who was in his early 50s, had been a well-respected figure in the Jameson’s Pub family and loved by staff and patrons alike. The sudden loss deeply affected all the involved parties, according to the pub’s spokesperson.
Police detained Korpie and two other patrons involved in the incident and booked them into Santa Monica Jail. Korpie, a Venice native, has since been charged with murder and currently faces $2 million bail.
The identities and charges of the other two suspects remain undisclosed, as does their status within the judicial system.