Police are looking for a man who might not even know that the punch he threw outside an Newport Beach Club early Thanksgiving morning killed a man (pictured) with whom he was arguing.
The punch resulted in a burst artery in the victim's brain.
Police said 27-year-old Clinton Joseph "C.J." Hubbard left the Code Restaurant and Bar at about 1:30 a.m., and followed a couple into the parking lot, according to witnesses. The couple had been arguing.
Hubbard and the man who threw the punch did not appear to know each other, witnesses told police. The motive for the attack is unknown, the Orange County Register reported.
The man hit Hubbard once then fled, according to police.
The punch knocked CJ to his knees, according to Hubbard's family. He was taken to a hospital.
CJ was taken off life support the next day.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
Hubbard was not the type to provoke a fight, his family said.
"He was a gentleman at work, on the basketball court and with every girl who came his way," said Jessica Johnson, CJ's sister.
Hubbard was a commercial real estate broker, and his co-workers called him the "go-to" guy.
Now the Newport Beach Police Department is asking for the public’s help in finding the man who hit Hubbard.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Newport Beach Police Department at 800-550-6273 or Detective Joe Cartwright at 949-644-3781, or email to jcartwright@nbpd.org. Messages can be left anonymous.
