Man dies after found unconscious at Tower District Me-n-Ed’s parking lot in Fresno

UPDATE: Fresno Police Lt. Rob Beckwith on Thursday told The Bee that investigators are backing off on the homicide angle until an autopsy has been completed. The case is now a death investigation.

ORIGINAL STORY: A man found unconscious at a Me-n-Ed’s parking lot in the Tower District later died Wednesday night after he was taken to a local hospital.

The cause of death was not immediately known, but Fresno Police are considering it a homicide.

“This particular incident was a bit baffling to us,” Lt. Paul Cervantes said. “There were not any visible injuries that were consistent with what one would presume to be life-threatening.

“In other words, we didn’t see a whole lot of blood, a whole lot of injuries.”

Police were called around 9 p.m. to the Me-n-Ed’s on Tap near Wishon and Fern avenues regarding a physical altercation involving a group of males.

Police believe the unconscious man, who was in his 40s, had been involved in the fight.

The man was not breathing when officers located him. Police, however, did not find any stab or gunshot wounds on the victim.

The man was rushed to Fresno Community Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Cervantes said some blood was found in the street, and detectives were securing a residence where police believe “the individuals that are responsible for the crime might be (located).”

This story was originally published May 12, 2021 at 10:48 PM.