
Police arrested Corey Pujols, 27, a Dunkin’ store employee after they say he fatally punched a 77-year-old customer in Florida after repeatedly used a racial slur against him.
Police say the victim, a man who police did not name, was punched May 4 and died Friday. Pujols told police that the man was “extremely rude” the day of the punch and had called him a racial slur. Pujols, who is Black, said he confronted the man about the slur, at which point the 77-year-old repeated it. The slur was not described further by police.
According to the Tampa Police Department Pujols punched the victim who then fell backward and hit his head on the concrete floor. The Tampa Bay Times reports an autopsy shows the man suffered a skull fracture and brain contusions.
Pujols was arrested and jailed Tuesday without bail on a charge of aggravated manslaughter of a person older than 65. He faces up to 30 years in prison.