A Pacific Beach man who is accused of punching a taxicab passenger who died five days later was ordered June 26 to stand trial for murder.
Three passengers in that taxicab testified about the events of May 24 at 2:20 a.m. that eventually led to the death of Nathaniel Ward, 25, who lived on the same street as the alleged attacker, Sam Osei Bonsu, 35.
Witnesses in the preliminary hearing said Ward was knocked unconscious in one punch.
Deputy District Attorney Corrine Miesfeld said the victim was no match for the defendant. She said Ward weighed 140 pounds and was 5 foot 5 inches tall, in contrast to Bonsu, who weighs 220 pounds and is 6 feet tall.
“The force he used was to kill one person. Not only did he pick (someone smaller), Mr. Ward had been drinking,” said Miesfeld. “It was a stranger attack, completely unprovoked.”
Bonsu’s attorney, Gary Gibson, told San Diego Superior Court Judge John Thompson “this is not a murder case,” and asked that Bonsu be ordered to stand trial for manslaughter. Gibson said “this was a one-punch (crime)” and filed only “because that death resulted.”
Thompson said the prosecutor was “overselling the case,” while he said the defense attorney was “underselling the case” in their respective arguments.
“Any substantial blow to the head is inherently dangerous,” Thompson said.
As for Ward and his companions, Thompson said, “No doubt the people in the cab were completely intoxicated.”
The driver of the taxicab has still not been located. The driver took off after the assault.
He set a trial date for Aug. 15 and Bonsu pleaded not guilty to murder and assault charges. Bonsu is also charged with punching Colin Costanzo, who was also riding in the cab.
“The issue of whether it was self-defense will be decided by a jury,” Gibson said to a reporter afterwards. “Our contention is they attacked him. In Pacific Beach, a black guy with a date doesn’t attack four white males.”
Brittany Flake, 21, testified she was on a date with Bonsu that night and she noticed “a cab came out of nowhere” with people yelling obscenities from it.
“I asked Sam if he knew them. He said, ‘I don’t think so,'” she said.
Flake testified Bonsu got out of his car on Bond Street after seeing the cab stop. She said someone kicked his car and the men appeared really aggressive. She said Bonsu asked them about a near collision with his car and the obscenities.
“They surrounded him. Someone came towards him and he hit (someone). I got out of the car because I was scared. Someone blind sided him and he hit back,” Flake said, who added that she saw someone hit Bonsu first.
“It seemed like they were drunk. Everything happened so fast. Punches were thrown,” Flake said. “We drove away.”
Jesse Crandall, 26, testified he met with Ward and the two other friends at the PB Bar & Grill, where they drank beer and shots of whiskey. Crandall said he did not remember a near accident in the cab, and he also didn’t hear anyone yelling, though he said on cross examination, “I’m sure I cussed.”
Crandall told the judge he didn’t see the attack.
“I wondered what had happened. I saw the attacker running back to his car,” Crandall said, who said he could not identify Bonsu as the attacker.
Costanzo testified Bonsu was angry and aggressive when Bonsu punched him. He said he fell back into the cab from the punch.
“I was drunk, but in control,” Costanzo said.
John “Bobbie” Bonus, 25, testified he saw Ward unconscious on the ground and found his unbroken glasses and hat. He said no one punched Bonsu.
Bonsu remains in the South Bay Detention Facility on $500,000 bail.