Police: Two teens charged with murder after attacking victim with skateboard, repeatedly kicking him near Chief Garry Park

Two teens are accused of killing a male by striking him with a skateboard and repeatedly kicking him last week near Chief Garry Park.

Quentyn Tyndale, 18, and Justin Haylett, 19, were initially charged with first-degree assault for the Aug. 7 beating, but those charges were upgraded to second-degree murder after the victim, who was not identified, died from his injuries Tuesday, according to a Spokane police news release.

Officers responded to the 3000 block of East Mission Avenue for a reported unconscious assault victim lying in a parking lot, police said.

According to court records, a witness told police two people who frequent the Volunteers of America young adult homeless shelter, 3104 E. Augusta Ave., assaulted a male. The facility is about one block from the location of the assault.

Surveillance footage from the Mission Avenue parking lot showed two figures approach another person, detectives said in court records. One of the figures appeared to use a skateboard to assault the person. The second figure then walked up to the victim before both figures left to the east.

Court documents indicated the victim had an apparent head injury and was alive but unresponsive when discovered. He was taken to the hospital.

Major Crimes Unit detectives took over the investigation because of the severity of the victim’s injuries, according to the release.

After evaluating physical evidence, talking to witnesses and reviewing security camera footage, investigators determined the victim was likely struck with a skateboard, causing him to fall to the ground, after which he was repeatedly kicked, police said.

Another witness told police one of the suspects punched and kicked the victim while the other hit the victim with a skateboard.

Haylett told police someone hit the victim in the head with a skateboard, knocking the victim to the ground. Haylett said he “lightly stepped” on the victim’s head to teach him a lesson, documents say.

Tyndale told police he hit the victim on the head with a skateboard, knocking him to the ground, court records say. Tyndale said Haylett kicked the victim in the head more than one time.

Surveillance from the shelter showed the two suspects entered the shelter, police said in documents. Police and a witness identified the suspects as Haylett and Tyndale.

Detectives arrested them Aug. 10.

The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office will release the identity of the victim, police said. Tyndale and Haylett remained in the Spokane County Jail on Wednesday evening.

Anyone with information about the incident who has not spoken with investigators is asked to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233 and reference incident No. 2023-20156797.