Julie Campos speaks to reporters during a news conference in front of Las Vegas Metro Police Downtown Area Command Monday May 8, 2017. Luis Campos died after being hit with a sucker punch in downtown Las Vegas on April 30. Metro Police Capt. Andrew Walsh listens at left.
Monday, May 8, 2017 | 1:04 p.m.
Luis Campos was visiting Las Vegas for his brother’s bachelor party. He was supposed to be the best man in the wedding.
Then, on the sidewalk outside Vanguard Lounge, 516 Fremont St., about 1:30 a.m. on April 30, Campos was approached by a stranger and punched in the head, according to Metro Police.
A single punch knocked Campos unconscious. Campos died at University Medical Center four days later of a traumatic brain injury, leaving behind his wife, Julie Campos, and five children.
“My husband Luis was an amazing person,” Julie Campos said today outside of Metro’s Downtown Area Command. “He was so loving and big-hearted. I don’t know what I’m going to do without the guy but I’m definitely going to raise our children in his honor.”
The suspect, later identified as James Beach, 27, was arrested on a charge of open murder without incident on Sunday, police said. He is being held at Clark County Detention Center without bail.
“(Beach) thought (Campos) looked at him wrong and just punched him,” Metro Lt. Dan McGrath said. “(Campos) was a good man that wasn’t doing anything wrong. It was totally unprovoked. I’m being asked why (Beach) did this and I don’t really have an answer. Sometimes with criminal history have a tendency towards violence.”
Police said Beach’s criminal history would be released at a later time.
When Julie Campos found out about the incident she raced to Las Vegas from her home in La Puente, California.
“That was the longest drive of my life,” she said. “A three and a half hour drive felt like a million years and I was sick to my stomach the whole way.”
Downtown businesses provided video of the event and the suspect entering and leaving the area.
“Without the help of the media and the local business community here in Downtown Las Vegas we wouldn’t have been able to solve this case,” Metro Captain Andy Walsh said. “The help of pushing out the video and making the public aware was the key.”
Julie Campos and Luis have a 1-year-old and a 2-year-old together — neither of which will grow up with their father.
“(I feel) hate, anger, rage, but with time I’m hoping that will sort of go away,” she said. “He robbed my husband of a beautiful life that we were building together, and my children of their father. They’re never going to know him first hand and he can’t experience their big milestones in life.”
Immediately after the incident Julie Campos said she lost much of her faith in humanity.
“Honestly in the world we live in today it doesn’t surprise me,” she said. “People are just so ugly out there and they have no sense of value for life. People are so desensitized and when someone is hurting another person they are quick to pull their phones out and record instead of calling 9-1-1 and helping.”
But in the days since Luis’ death she has received an outpouring of support and donations.
“Everyone that has helped and reached out, whether they know me or not, has lifted what shattered spirit I have left,” she said.
Julie and Luis Campos met five years ago at a car show in Las Vegas. They would have been celebrating their 3-year wedding anniversary on May 31.
Instead their love story ended in the same city it began.
“I feel like I never want to come back here again because my soul is crushed,” Luis Campos said.
But she will make the trip to Las Vegas at least once more, for Beach’s trial.
“I want him prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” she said. “It brings me a little peace of mind that he’s off the street and he won’t do it to another family.”
Campos’ funeral will be in the coming days, but the grieving process has already begun.
“I just have a huge hole in my heart that’s never going to go away,” Julie Campos said. “He was my superman. Luis could take the worst situation and make the best out of it and that’s what I needed in my life. I’m just happy and appreciative of the time that I had with him.”
