Garrett James Ward (via Orleans Parish Jail)
Garrett Ward, 25, will face a charge of second-degree murder in the Jan. 6 death of 60-year-old Arnold Jackson, nearly two weeks after Ward allegedly attacked Jackson while the older man walked down St. Charles Avenue “minding his own business,” prosecutors said.
For details, see the full news release from the Orleans Parish District Attorney:
District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office on Thursday (June 7) secured a murder indictment against Garrett Ward of Baton Rouge, in connection with the January beating death of a 60-year-old pedestrian on St. Charles Avenue.
Garrett Ward, 25, is charged with second-degree murder in the indictment handed up by an Orleans Parish grand jury. Ward faces a mandatory life prison sentence if convicted of the charge.
Ward, a commercial real estate agent at the time of his arrest, is accused of punching and kicking Arnold Jackson, inflicting injuries so severe that the victim died Jan. 18. The attack is alleged to have occurred around 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 6, in the 2000 block of St. Charles Avenue.
New Orleans police arrested Ward after two witnesses identified him as the man who attacked Jackson. At least one witness told police Ward appeared to have been drunk when he attacked Jackson without warning or reason. The witness described Jackson as “casually walking down the street minding his own business” when the younger man lunged and began punching his head.
Ward has been free since posting a $250,000 bond, but is expected to surrender to authorities shortly. Criminal District Judge Robin Pittman set his new bond amount at $1 million after the indictment was read.
Assistant District Attorney Inga Petrovich presented the case to the grand jury.
