A murder defendant pleaded guilty to assaulting a 64-year-old man after prosecutors said complications from injuries led to his death.
Manuel E. Bermudez is charged with aggravated assault for his role in the death of Miguel Pineda-Hernandez on the 1300 block of Irving Street, NW in 2018. According to court documents, Pineda-Hernandez died as a result of complications from injuries in the weeks following his assault. Bermudez, 38, was initially charged with second-degree murder.
During the hearing on March 22, a prosecutor said that Bermudez pushed Pineda-Hernandez into the ground, causing him to fall over an iron fence. Pineda-Hernandez sustained severe injuries that a medical examiner said contributed to his death weeks later.
The prosecutor also said that Bermudez was intoxicated at the time of the incident, and Bermudez admitted to having alcohol abuse issues during an interview with police.
Bermudez is also charged with misdemenor sexual abuse after grabbing the buttocks of another victim, who witnessed Pineda-Hernandez’s murder.
D.C. Witness previously reported that Pineda-Hernandez suffered from other health conditions, such as kidney and heart problems, that made him a “uniquely fragile” target. According to court documents, surveillance footage captured both of the assaults on Irving Street, and Bermudez identified himself from still photographs taken from the footage.
Bermudez is scheduled for sentencing on June 7.
