Man Dies After Slap To The Face In SMC, Friend Pleads Not Guilty: DA

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — A 53-year-old man pleaded not guilty Wednesday after prosecutors said he forcefully slapped a friend in the face outside an East Palo Alto market, leaving the man with a bloody nose before he died at a hospital about two hours later.

Angel Lopez Ibarra Jr. pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury in connection with the Sept. 3 incident, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.

The victim was identified as Andres Alberto Henriquez Gomez, 52, of Menlo Park.

Gomez and Ibarra were outside La Estrellita Market that afternoon when Gomez said something that angered Ibarra, prosecutors claimed.

Ibarra walked over to Gomez, who was sitting outside the market, and forcefully slapped him in the face with an open hand, prosecutors said.

Gomez stood up and walked around with a bloody nose before sitting back down. Ibarra then walked into a nearby barbershop, according to prosecutors.

East Palo Alto police arrived around 2:20 p.m. after initially receiving reports of a man acting erratically and disrobing in public.

Officers found Gomez still bleeding and suffering from significant facial injuries.

Paramedics took Gomez to Stanford Hospital, where he died about two hours later, official said.

The cause of death remains pending, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Ibarra remains in custody without bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 22 for a preliminary hearing.

The case remains under investigation.