Woman Arrested For Death Of Brain Tumor Survivor After Beach Brawl

Louisiana police arrested a 20-year-old women in connection with the death of a man recovering from brain tumor surgery. Crime scene tape is pictured on March 20, 2018 in Sunset Valley, Texas. Scott Olson/Getty Images

A Louisiana woman has been arrested following the death a 46-year-old man who got involved in a scuffle between two groups during a beach brawl over the weekend. The victim was recovering from brain surgery.

Blaine Manalle, 20, was arrested on Monday on one count of second-degree murder in the death of Jeffrey Howell.

A brawl erupted on Saturday evening at a sandbar along West Pearl River in Louisiana. Howell died from injuries he sustained during the fight, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office said in a news release.

Manalle was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail on Monday on $250,000 bail. Police apprehended two other men in connection with the incident including Cameron Alphonso, 21, who was initially arrested on one count of manslaughter. He was later booked for second-degree murder after additional witness interviews.

Alden Kindergran, 22, was also charged with one count of disturbing the peace. He was released on Sunday after he posted a $750 bond.

Two large groups of people began fighting at the sandbar just after 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and Howell was trying to protect the area where the fight occurred. "From what we heard, they were throwing bottles in the river, and they were told to stop throwing bottles," Howell's neighbor, Kathy Maillet, told FOX8.

An autopsy showed that Howell died from blunt force trauma. It also revealed that he had been hit near the scar from his brain tumor surgery, which he had undergone three weeks prior.

"If you cup your hand behind your left ear, that's where the incision was, and that's where the bone had been removed," St. Tammany Coroner Dr. Charles Preston told the outlet.

Meanwhile, residents are coping with Howell’s death. He was a well-known figure in the community who looked out for everyone, including children.

"Jeff was always the one to make sure everybody got home safe and all the children were taken care of," his friend Janice O'Berry told The Advocate. “He was a protector of sorts, I like to refer to him as that. That was just his persona.”

An investigation into Howell’s death is ongoing. St. Tammany investigators had interviewed more than 40 people suspected of being involved in the brawl and more arrests and interviews are pending.