EVERETT — The man who was kicked in the head Monday near the Everett Gospel Mission has died and prosecutors have charged the suspect with second-degree murder.
Juan Gonzales, 47, died Wednesday night, Snohomish County prosecutors wrote in court papers. The cause of death remains under investigation by the medical examiner.
Gonzales was rushed to the hospital after he collapsed late Monday in an area that has become notorious for problems connected to homelessness, drug abuse and street crime. Witnesses told police the suspect had kicked Gonzales in the head while the victim was lying on the ground. Gonzales walked to a nearby chainlink fence, where he fell.
He reportedly was living on the street.
Joshua David Thompson, 41, allegedly told police the victim asked telepathically to be kicked in the head. The suspect has a history of mental illness, according to court papers.
Thompson made a brief appearance Thursday in Everett District Court. A judge earlier in the week had found probable cause to hold him for investigation of first-degree assault. Prosecutors advised the judge Thursday that the victim had died. The judge explained to Thompson why he was being held and kept bail at $250,000.
Prosecutors later filed a one-page complaint alleging that Thompson killed Gonzales in the course of an assault. They have about two weeks to refile the case into Superior Court.
Thompson also was homeless. He has been arrested multiple times near the mission on Smith Avenue. He is a veteran who served in the U.S. Navy.
Medical records indicate that Thompson has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He also has a long history of drug abuse, according to court records.
The patient “has a major mental disorder that is long-standing in duration and which receives inadequate treatment in the community,” a mental health professional wrote in 2015. “The nature of his symptoms brings him into inevitable contact with legal authorities.”
Social service advocates say that those living on the streets are vulnerable to becoming victims of violence.
A homeless woman was stabbed and beaten to death June 23 near Pigeon Creek Trail in Everett. She had been staying at homeless camp near the port. Her attacker was a convicted killer who served time for the murder of his wife. He was sentenced last month to life in prison.
A homeless man was beaten and choked to death last year near an Everett camp between Snohomish River and I-5. Two people, also homeless, were accused of attacking him and dumping his body in a swamp. One has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and the other is awaiting trial for murder.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.
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