South Jersey teen charged with manslaughter after man fatally punched in the head
MOUNT EPHRAIM, N.J. - A punch to the head claimed a man's life this weekend, and now a teenage boy is being charged in connection to his death.
The victim, 46-year-old Oron Beebe, was found unconscious in a parking lot on King Highway in Mount Ephraim on March 23.
Police say the man hit his head on the ground after being punched in the head by a 16-year-old boy from Collingswood.
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He was transported to a local hospital, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries 8 days later.
Friends tell FOX 29 Beebe, who went by Carl and the nickname "Snook," is a husband and father of two and was fondly known for as a coach and hockey dad in the Bellmawr hockey community.
The incident happened in the Walgreens parking lot, across from Bobby Ray’s Black Horse Tavern.
Bobby Ray, the owner, declined to do an on-camera interview, but says Beebe and his wife ate dinner inside of the restaurant that night while the 16-year-old, his parents, and other high school wrestling families and coaches watched the NCAA Wrestling Championship finals in a different part of the restaurant by the bar.
Ray says the two groups never crossed paths and left the restaurant several minutes apart. He says he did not witness what happened in the lot, but was devastated to find out what happened.
A GoFundMe and MealTrain were created to support the Beebe family as they mourn the tragic loss of their loved one.
The juvenile suspect was arrested by officials last Monday, and initially charged with second-degree aggravated assault.
His charge has since been upgraded to second-degree manslaughter following the victim's death.