Landscaper’s injury fatal; co-worker arrested

A landscape worker was killed Monday in the backyard of an Irvine home where he was working, and another worker was arrested on suspicion of homicide, authorities said.

The incident on Woods Trail occurred shortly before noon when officers discovered a man bleeding on the ground, apparently hit on the head with a blunt instrument such as a shovel or a pick, said police Lt. Rick Handfield. He died at the scene.

Police arrested Ernesto Avalos, 26, who stood nearby but would not respond to police commands, Handfield said. Avalos was in stable condition at a hospital where he was treated for injuries he received from the less-than-lethal weapons police used to subdue him, and was to be taken to the county jail.

The identity of the dead man was not available, but he was believed to be the boss or supervisor of the crew. The motive for the killing was unknown, and Handfield said other workers witnessed no confrontation between the two men.