A 64-year-old Salem man has died two and a half weeks after police said he was beaten by a teenager and left with critical injuries.
Authorities have provided little information about the June 29 beating that killed Russell L. Mikolas, including what prompted the attack or whether the teen and victim knew each other.
Mikolas died Monday from his injuries, police said.
The boy, 17, was charged with second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and disorderly conduct. He was also charged with assault in the second, third and fourth degrees, according to Marion County Deputy District Attorney Brendan Murphy.
Witnesses called Salem police around 4:30 p.m. on June 29 and reported a young man punching and kicking the victim, who was walking along Northeast Sunnyview Road near Northeast Lancaster Drive, the Salem Police Department said in a news release a day later.
The suspect tried to leave but was stopped by witnesses, according to the statement.
Police arrested the boy and lodged him at the Marion County Juvenile Department, originally for an assault charge.
The victim was taken to Salem Hospital with life-threatening injuries, then transferred to a Portland-area hospital for further care.
Salem police first identified the victim in a Tuesday morning news release announcing his death, which occurred 18 days after the attack.
The agency said it does not identify minors involved in criminal investigations. Juvenile court records are generally confidential under state law.
Angela Hendrick, department spokeswoman, declined to answer written questions and said they needed to be redirected to the district attorney’s office.
Murphy said prosecutors have filed a motion to have the teen tried in adult court.
The passing of Senate Bill 1008 in 2019 left that decision in the hands of judges. Previously, teens charged with violent crimes were prosecuted and sentenced as adults.
Murphy also declined to answer questions about the incident, saying it was “an open juvenile matter.”
Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.
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Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered criminal justice and housing for Salem Reporter since September 2021. As an Oregon native, his award-winning watchdog journalism has traversed the state. He has done reporting for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.
