Foul play involved in Ortiz mauling

A forensic pathologist has ruled that foul play was involved in the beating incident that led to the death of nonresident worker Luciano Silvestre Ortiz last week.

“That’s the finding of the doctor—that foul play was involved, a homicide,” said,”

Public Safety acting spokesman Capt. Pete Muna yesterday.

He said that based on the autopsy conducted by Dr. Aurelio Espinola, chief medical examiner/forensic pathologist from Guam, Ortiz had bruises on the eyes and mouth and was found to have pneumonia. But Espinola reportedly said that contracting pneumonia was common with victims that sustained an injury.

Muna further said that Espinola found that the victim had sustained a fractured skull “to the back right side of the victim’s head.”

Muna said that Espinola had found that the victim “fell backward with his head making contact and/or head hitting the asphalt first and as a result the head or skull got fractured.”

The skull fracture was reportedly consistent with the “head falling theory.”

“Dr. Espinola indicated that the skull fracture is consistent with the victim falling backward as a result of the punch and with the head first making contact [with] the asphalt/pavement,” said Muna.

The Attorney General Office yesterday filed criminal charges against Ortiz’s suspected assailant, Edgardo Palma.

AGO Criminal Division chief David Hutton filed a second-degree murder charge, among others, against Palma, alleging that the suspect killed Ortiz.

In the same complaint, the suspect was also charged with assault and battery, aggravated assault and battery, and disturbing the peace, saying that Palma attacked the victim by hitting, striking, “and otherwise caus[ing] bodily harm to Ortiz.”

Ortiz, who was allegedly mauled by Palma over a woman, died in the early hours of Aug. 18 while under treatment at the Commonwealth Health Center. Ortiz had been hooked to a life support system from the time he was brought to CHC on Aug. 13.

Initial investigation showed that Ortiz and Palma had a heated altercation at the parking lot of the Dai-Ichi Hotel Saipan Beach on Aug. 13.

According to police, Palma had admitted punching Ortiz but refused to give details, citing his constitutional rights.

Crime scene investigators had reportedly seized a metal pipe at the crime scene—a possible weapon that could have been used by the suspect in attacking the victim.

Before the incident, Ortiz was asking a woman, who was aboard a car if she has a romantic relationship with the suspect. At that time, Palma was reportedly standing behind the victim. An altercation between Ortiz and Palma followed, resulting in a fight and ending with Ortiz slumped on the pavement, covered in blood and motionless.

Ortiz worked as a painter for the hotel’s engineering and maintenance department while Palma works as salesman.

Palma, who was arrested after the incident, is currently out on bail.