Man dies of injuries from fight at Graton Casino parking lot

The Santa Rosa man who was attacked earlier this month at the Graton Casino has died of his injuries, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday.

Sheriff’s officials identified the victim as Dondiego Hermilo Andrade, 55. But a member of Andrade’s extended family said he went by the name of Milo and that he was a longtime employee of Santa Rosa Junior College.

The family member, who asked that his name not be used, described Andrade as a hardworking man and the sole breadwinner in his family. He said Andrade’s death has devastated the family.

The family member initially contacted The Press Democrat to dispute some of the details in a sheriff’s news statement released following the attack. The family member said Andrade’s immediate family was grieving over the death and could not comment at this point.

Morgan Lewis Jr., 44, of Lake County, was arrested after the violent altercation in the casino parking lot. According to the Sheriff’s Office, Lewis got into an argument with several men after the door of the SUV they were in struck his truck. Deputies arrived at the parking lot at 11:36 p.m. Sept. 15, but the fight already had ended.

The Sheriff’s Office said deputies left the scene at 12:03 a.m. Sept. 16, but they were called back 10 minutes later after a report of another fight.

When deputies arrived, they learned Lewis approached one of the men he thought was involved in the earlier altercation and shoved him backwards, officials said. The victim hit his head on the concrete sidewalk and was unconscious and unresponsive.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Spencer Crum said video shows Lewis using his forearm to shove the victim.

Lori Nelson, a spokeswoman for Las Vegas-based Station Casinos, which operates the Graton Resort and Casino, could not be reached Sunday for comment.

Lewis was initially booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of felony assault causing great bodily injury and released a short time later on $35,000 bail. It was not known Sunday if the charges against Lewis would be updated.

No other information was available Sunday evening.