NEWS RELEASE
Release Date: November 12, 2017
Modesto Police Department
Media Relations Unit
Office of the Chief of Police
600 10th Street, Modesto, CA 95354
Author: Heather Graves
Modesto, CA – The security guard who was assaulted in a downtown parking garage this weekend has died from his injuries.
Late Friday night, dispatchers received a 9-1-1 call regarding a man down in the parking garage at 915 11th Street. When officers arrived, they found 70-year-old Karl Whitehead unconscious with injuries to the head area. The victim was listed in critical condition until this afternoon when he succumbed to his injuries.
The early investigation indicates that the victim, who was working as a security guard in the parking garage, intervened in an argument between the suspect and a female parking attendant. The suspect struck the security guard during an altercation. A witness followed the suspect from the parking garage until police arrived and took him into custody.
Don Lacey, 33 of Modesto, was arrested and booked into the Stanislaus County Jail for assault with great bodily injury. An enhancement was added to his charge for being a habitual offender, as this offense would be Lacey’s 3rd strike.
Please note that this release is intended to be a brief update based on preliminary information. As we continue our investigation, we welcome any information that would help us better understand what took place. Anyone with information about the assault is encouraged to call Detective Sean Martin at 209-342-6116 or Crime Stoppers at 209-521-4636. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
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