One charged after punch leads to man's death outside club on Water Street

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – A Milwaukee man is now charged with felony murder after police say he punched a man in the face which led to his death.

It happened near a parking lot on N. Water Street and E. Michigan Street outside The District Night Club around 2:30 a.m. June 15.

According to the criminal complaint, Leandro Miguel Guzman punched a man, knocking him to the ground. The man was taken to the hospital and never regained consciousness. On June 19, police said the man was taken off life support and pronounced dead.

The complaint says police spoke with a woman who said she had been at The District Night Club with a group of people including the victim in the early morning hours of June 15. She said while she was at the club she ran into Guzman, who she knows as "Dro." She said she told him she wanted to avoid any problems and to leave her and her group alone. Later, when the group was leaving the club, Guzman began following her and her group and she again told him to leave her and her group alone.

The woman told investigators the victim intervened and told Guzman they weren't looking for any trouble and were just trying to get home. The woman told police the victim never made any physical contact with Guzman and that he did not do anything menacing. She said Guzman then shoved her out of the way, cocked his arm back and moved toward the victim landing a single, very hard, closed fist punch on the side of the victim's head.

The woman said she saw the victim freeze up, and fall directly backward without being able to break his fall. She said she remembered hearing the victim's head hit the pavement very hard.

Police also spoke with Guzman who admitted he hit the right side of the victim's face with his left hand. Guzman said when he hit the victim, the victim buckled and at that point, he walked away. Guzman said the victim did an "approach mechanism" and that the victim's hands were down by his waist before Guzman hit him.

If convicted, Guzman could spend 15 years in prison.