Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced that on Oct. 23rd, the Regional Medical Examiner’s Office issued findings in the death of Luis Rivera, 38, of Hoboken.
Officials say Rivera’s cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head and the manner of death to be homicide.
According to authorities, on Oct. 24th, charges against Joshua Espada, 29, of Jersey City were upgraded to Reckless Manslaughter in violation. He is currently being held at the Hudson County Correctional Facility in Kearny until his first appearance in Hudson County Superior Court in Jersey City.
On October 20, 2018, at approximately 3:00 a.m., Jersey City Police Officers were dispatched to the area of 1st Street and Marin Boulevard in Jersey City on a report of a street fight.
Upon arrival, officers found an unresponsive male lying with apparent facial wounds on the ground at that location. The man, who was identified as Rivera, was treated at the scene by Emergency Medical Services before being transported to the Jersey City Medical Center. Rivera was pronounced dead at approximately 4:10 a.m. on Oct. 21st.
The initial investigation revealed that Rivera was assaulted at that location. On Oct. 21st, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Espada, charging him initially with Aggravated Assault.
The Prosecutor’s Homicide Unit and the Jersey City Police Department are actively investigating the case.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office at 201-915-1345 or to leave an anonymous tip on the Prosecutor’s Office official website at: http://www.hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip/. All information will be kept confidential.
The above charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.