Man who ‘suckerpunched’ panhandler in Aurora faces homicide charges

AURORA | A man who police say sucker-punched another man for panhandling is now facing a manslaughter charge after the victim died.

Daniel Rice, 28, was initially charged with second-degree assault for pummeling Ricky Thompson on Aug. 14.

The broad daylight attack near East Quincy Avenue and South Buckley road left Thompson on life support for six weeks before he died in late September.

Aurora police spokeswoman Sgt. Cassidee Carlson said that after Thompson died, police changed the charges against Rice to include manslaughter.

Rice’s next court appearance is scheduled for next week.

According to an arrest affidavit filed against Rice, he admitted to police after his arrest that he beat Thompson, but said he didn’t mean to hurt him.

Rice told officers that he had seen Thompson before in the neighborhood around Quincy and Buckley asking kids for money or drugs.

A few days prior to the attack, Rice said Thompson asked him for money outside a Walmart on Smoky Hill Road. Rice said he told Thompson to “f*** off,” and Thompson tried to punch him but missed. Rice said the two men then went their separate ways.

On Aug. 14, Rice again saw Thompson, this time near a Chase Bank on Quincy.

Rice’s roommate, who was with him that afternoon, said that when Rice saw Thompson, he said the man looked like a “crackhead” and said, “watch this, I’m gonna go teach this guy a lesson, I’m gonna knock this guy out.”

The roommate said Rice then ran across East Quincy Avenue and punched Thompson in the head, knocking him to the ground. Rice’s roommate said he didn’t see Rice hit the man while he was on the ground, but other witnesses said they saw Rice hit the man several times.

Police eventually tracked Rice to his home on South Salida Way and arrested him Aug. 20.

After his arrest, Rice told police that when Thompson was on the ground, he hit him in the chest and said, “stay away from here and stay out of the neighborhood.”