East County Man Dies Of Injuries From Fistfight

SPRING VALLEY, CA — A 39-year-old man has died from injuries sustained in a fistfight with a probationer near Sweetwater Reservoir, authorities reported Wednesday.

Deputies responding to a report of an assault found Rafael Garcia badly battered and unconscious in the area of Canyon Road and Harness Street in Spring Valley on Thursday, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

Paramedics took Garcia to a hospital, where his condition worsened until his death Tuesday evening, officials said.

Detectives determined that Garcia, a Spring Valley resident, had suffered fatal head injuries during a fight with another man, officials said.

On Friday, members of a fugitive task force arrested the suspected assailant, 32-year-old Ignacio Martinez of Chula Vista, outside his home.

Martinez was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of assault, battery causing serious bodily injury and violating conditions of his probation.

— City News Service