Paint-ball victim dies at hospital

Bryce Alderton

NEWPORT BEACH -- After two weeks in a coma, a 54-year-old in-line

skater who fell and cracked his skull after being pelted with paint-ball

pellets died Sunday, hospital officials said.

Gary Holdren was taken off life support on Sunday, but was pronounced

brain dead at 2:45 p.m. Saturday, said Kathi Gonzales, nursing supervisor

at Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo. At the

request of Holdren’s family, his body remained hooked to a ventilator

until his organs could be harvested, she said.

Holdren’s body will now be given to the Orange County Coroner’s office

for an autopsy.

On March 24, the Newport Beach resident was skating along Back Bay

Drive, a path friends and family said he ran or skated along regularly,

when a barrage of paint-ball pellets caused him to fall backward and hit

his head.

Newport Beach police said Holdren was wearing wrist guards but not a

helmet when he was reportedly struck with the paint-balls.

Witnesses told police they saw three “youthful males” with paint-ball

guns in the area about the time the man was found injured, said

detectives with the Newport Beach Police Department.

Police have not made any arrests in what authorities claim is an

isolated incident.

“We haven’t had a lot of problems in the area since the incident,”

said Sgt. Fred Heinecke. “So it doesn’t look like a continual problem.

But we would appreciate being notified if anyone has further

information.”

Anyone with information is encouraged to call Newport Beach police at

(949) 644-3717.

* Bryce Alderton is the news assistant. He may be reached at (949)

574-4298 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .