Police say a 56-year-old man has died from injuries sustained from an assault in downtown Juneau last month.
The Juneau Police Department in a release Thursday confirmed Aaron G. Monette died on July 4 at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
JPD is actively searching for the suspect, and posted a be-on-the-lookout on its Facebook page July 1 for David Valentine Evenson, 51, asking for assistance from the public in locating him.
According to police, JPD received a report about the assault at just before 1 p.m. June 30, that Evenson had kicked Monette in the head near the Downtown Transit Center.
Both Capital City Fire/Rescue and police officers were dispatched to the scene, JPD Public Safety Manager Erann Kalwara said in Thursday’s release.
“When the first police officers arrived on scene, the victim was lying on the ground unconscious,” Kalwara said. “The suspect had fled the scene prior to the officers’ arrival. While the first two officers provided care for the victim, other officers began an investigation and canvas of the area.”
Kalwara declined to provide furthers details of what transpired between the two men, or the exact nature of the assault.
Monette was transported to Bartlett Regional Hospital by ambulance and was later medically evacuated to Harborview Medical Center for advanced trauma treatment. He was pronounced deceased the evening of July 4. Next of kin has been notified.
An autopsy will be performed, and the police department will wait for those results before proceeding on potential criminal charges, Kalwara said. Evenson’s criminal history dates back to 1988, but primarily consists of misdemeanors. He was arrested on Jan. 14 of this year, and charged with a misdemeanor assault and was set to return to court on that case Sept. 5.
Evenson has not been contacted by the police yet, and the investigation remains open, Kalwara said. He is known to frequent the downtown area, but could be anywhere in Juneau, she said.
Anyone with information regarding Evenson’s location is encouraged to contact JPD at 586-0600 or make an anonymous report online at juneaucrimeline.com.
Contact reporter Liz Kellar at 523-2246 or liz.kellar@juneauempire.com.
