Police arrest suspect accused of fracturing man’s skull in assault at Fort Worth store
After more than two months of investigation, Fort Worth police have arrested a man who they say fatally assaulted another man during a confrontation outside a Dollar Tree store in November.
Hector Ramirez Cabanas Gonzalez, 45, died on Nov. 27 in the ICU at John Peter Smith Hospital. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled his death a homicide caused by complications of blunt force injuries to his head.
On Tuesday, Feb. 4, Fort Worth police arrested 38-year-old Kenderick Smith, who is charged with manslaughter in the case.
A Fort Worth police homicide detective wrote in an arrest warrant affidavit that investigators believe Smith shoved or punched Ramirez, causing him to fall to the ground.
When MedStar medics arrived at the Dollar Tree at 1458 Eastchase Parkway on Nov. 17, they found Ramirez with a large wound on the back of his head, according to the affidavit obtained by the Star-Telegram.
Ramirez was vomiting and was unable to communicate with the medics about what happened, they told police.
A 911 caller reported seeing the victim argue with a man who had come out of the store with a large group of people, according to the affidavit. The witness said the man pushed Ramirez to the ground and then got into an SUV and left.
Police watched surveillance video from the Dollar Tree and surrounding businesses. The video showed a man, later identified as Smith, at the Dollar Tree with a group of six girls and women, according to the affidavit.
Detectives searched for SUVs matching the description of the vehicle seen in the video, which eventually led to one registered to Smith’s girlfriend, police said. Smith declined an interview with detectives in December, the affidavit states.
Over the next few weeks, police interviewed at least one other witness who was with Smith at the Dollar Tree. The witness’ name is redacted from the affidavit. The witness told police that Ramirez bumped into their group outside the store and that Smith knocked Ramirez “out cold,” the affidavit states. She said that Ramirez did not apologize for bumping into them but also that she didn’t think he spoke English. No one in their group was knocked down when he bumped into them, she told police.
Ramirez died at the hospital 10 days after the assault, police said. The doctor who performed the autopsy told police that Ramirez had a skull fracture and fractures to his jaw and a facial bone.
Smith has been released from jail on $20,000 bond. A defense attorney for Smith is not listed in court records.
