MORGAN HILL – An investigation into an early morning brawl that resulted in the death of one man and the arrest of another has been reported by the Morgan Hill Police.
The Morgan Hill PD arrested a man from San Jose who allegedly killed a male acquaintance, John Flood, during a fight outside a bar called the M&H Tavern, located at 17365 Monterey Street near downtown Morgan Hill, sometime after 1:00 am early Wednesday, May 20. Based on witness statements and video surveillance footage, 37-year-old Joseph HaIey was identified as the suspect seen fighting in the parking lot. According to the Morgan Hill Police Department, “Officers arrived on scene and located an adult male on the ground with major head trauma.”
The M & H Tavern in Morgan Hill.
The victim was transported to a local hospital in Gilroy where he was pronounced dead a short time later. “During the investigation it was determined 32-year-old Joseph Haley out of San Jose was in a physical altercation with the victim, which led to the victim’s death.”
Haley was taken into custody and booked in the Santa Clara County Main Jail for homicide. On Thursday, after a brief court hearing, Haley was released from Jail pending an investigation into the death of Flood. According to Santa Clara County Supervising Deputy District Attorney Steve Lowney, “The case is under review. The review cannot be completed before the suspect’s arraignment date. Consequently, the suspect will be released from custody.”
The Morgan Hill Police Department reported that during the 2014, only 37 arrests for aggravated assault were made. The last homicide in the town occurred in 2013 when a resident living in a trailer park killed his live-in girlfriend and then dumped her body near the railroad tracks, just a few blocks from downtown Morgan Hill. With a population of 40,246, crime rates pale in comparison to larger cities in the surrounding area, with San Jose Police reporting more than seven homicides this year, and a new population census reporting more than one million residents.
Relatives and friends have set up a fundraising site at HealthDonor.com in Flood’s memory to help pay for funeral costs and other expenses unforeseen due to his death.
