Autopsy: Hotel La Jolla Architect ‘Heavily Intoxicated’ When Killed

A prominent San Diego architect who was fatally bludgeoned two months ago during a party at his Bankers Hill home—allegedly by a man who worked at his firm—was heavily intoxicated at the time, according to autopsy results released Tuesday.

Graham Downes, 56, had a blood-alcohol content of 0.23 percent, nearly three times the legal limit for driving, about 90 minutes after police found him face-down and unconscious on a sidewalk in front of his West Juniper Street residence early on the morning of April 19, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office.

Downes—a rugby enthusiast well-known for his design work on several area hotels and restaurants, including Tom Ham's Lighthouse, the Bali Hai, Hotel La Jolla and the Hard Rock Hotel—was pronounced dead from brain trauma at Scripps Mercy Hospital two days later.

Shortly after finding Downes fatally injured outside his house, police arrested 31-year-old Higinio Soriano Salgado, an Encanto resident who was employed by the victim as a property manager.

Witnesses told investigators the two men had gotten into a fistfight during which Salgado severely beat Downes. When patrol officers arrived, the 6- foot, 260-pound architect was face down on the roadside, with the 5-foot-5- inch, 320-pound suspect lying on top of him, according to police and prosecutors.

The reason for the dispute between the two men remains unclear.

Salgado has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held in county jail without bail pending trial.

-City News Service