Pascual Luna-Grande, 37, of Perth Amboy, was assaulted and robbed on Sept. 18. Police found him unconscious on the sidewalk on Madison Avenue in Perth Amboy at 4:40 a.m.
PERTH AMBOY - A New York man was charged with murder in connection with the death of a robbery victim who was punched and knocked to the ground last week, authorities said Friday.
Pascual Luna-Grande, 37, of Perth Amboy, was assaulted and robbed on Sept. 18. Police found him unconscious on the sidewalk on Madison Avenue in Perth Amboy at 4:40 a.m.
Luna-Grande was taken to a local hospital, where he died Wednesday.
Lashawn Jones, 41, of the Bronx, N.Y., was arrested several hours after the attack and charged with assault and robbery, officials said.
The charge was upgraded to murder after the victim died on Wednesday.
PREVIOUSLY: N.Y. man charged in robbery, vicious attack on Perth Amboy street
Jones is being held on $750,000 bail.
"During the investigation, it was determined that the victim had been attacked at 2 a.m.," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
"After the man fell to the ground, Jones took the victim's cell phone and an undisclosed amount of cash and fled," the prosecutor alleged.
The investigation is continuing. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Pias of the Perth Amboy Police Department at (732) 324-3824, or Detective Canastra of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office at (732) 745-3809.
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.