SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A Mission Valley man is back home after being brutally beaten and left behind a dumpster during what was supposed to be a dream vacation in Hawaii.
Miguel Ortega suffered multiple serious injuries, including a fractured eye socket and jaw, and a hairline fracture in his neck, during the assault that happened on May 17.
"I feel very lucky to be alive," Ortega said.
Ortega, his twin brother, and Ortega's girlfriend were enjoying their vacation in Honolulu, taking photos and "just having a blast," according to Ortega.
On the third day of their trip, the group started with an early morning hike. Later that evening, Ortega and his brother were part of a group that ended up at a bar near their hotel.
Ortega says he had consumed two beers but was tired from the long day and dozed off at the bar twice.
"Next thing you know, a security guard comes and aggressively puts his arm around me and tries to pull me out… As my brother is trying to explain something to him, he punches me directly in my nose," Ortega said.
Ortega became separated from his group, and he says the guard followed him as he left the bar.
"We were on the street arguing. And after that, everything went black on me," Ortega said.
Hours later, Ortega woke up face down next to a dumpster about six blocks away from the bar.
"I felt my jaw was broken, my skull was exposed," Ortega said.
The 27 year old believes he was beaten badly.
“I had scratch marks on my arm and knee. They dragged me to that dumpster," he says. "Basically, like, you're trash. Throw him away. He's dead."
At the hospital, Ortega required two surgeries and had several metal plates inserted.
"Even one more pound of pressure would have fully broken my neck. I could have died of asphyxiation or bleeding," Ortega said.
Ortega says he wasn't robbed during the assault, and detectives have not yet linked his assault to the altercation at the bar. He flew back to San Diego last week.
"I'm just glad to be alive, here, and breathing," Ortega said.
Ortega, a carpenter, remains out of work while recovering. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help Ortega with medical and other expenses.
"It's supposed to be a fun vacation. [It] turned into a nightmare," Ortega said.
ABC 10News reached out to the Honolulu police for an update, and our newsroom is awaiting a response.
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