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Suspect in deadly assault at Chula Vista restaurant identified

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Posted at 11:08 AM, May 05, 2023
and last updated 2023-05-07 15:53:11-04

CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) – A suspect in the assault and death of a City Heights man at a Chula Vista restaurant in April was identified by police Friday.

Chula Vista Police said Bernabe Bahena Rivera, 38, is wanted in connection with the death of 59-year-old Jose Perez-Fong, who died days after being attacked at the Papagayos Grill and Cantina on April 15.

Police said Perez-Fong was on dance floor when, for reasons still unknown, he was assaulted by the suspect.

RELATED: City Heights grandfather dies after brutal assault in South Bay bar

Perez-Fong was hospitalized at Scripps Mercy Hospital in the Intensive Care Unit following the attack, and police said he passed away on April 21.

In addition to releasing images of Rivera, police said the suspect “has ties to Chula Vista, San Diego, and Mexico.”