By VINAYA SAKSENA

CENTRAL FALLS — The 56-year-old man who died after being beaten and robbed near his home on Watson Street Monday night did nothing to deserve such a fate.

He was in fact one of the most upstanding people one could hope to meet, according to friends, neighbors and family members who gathered near his home to remember him Tuesday.
In an apparent robbery, Jorge Restrepo was reportedly punched and kicked after being knocked to the Watson Street pavement by a pair of black males at around 5:30 p.m. Monday. That was where police found him, suffering what they later described as “severe head trauma.”
The assailants left with Restrepo’s wallet, police said.
The victim was taken to Memorial Hospital, and later transferred to Rhode Island Hospital, where he apparently died of wounds sustained in the attack.
The city’s police chief, Col. Joseph Moran, said there was no apparent motive beyond robbery for the assault. No suspects were named as of Tuesday evening. The incident is under investigation.
Less than 24 hours after responding to the scene of the crime, police were back to block off a section of Watson Street for the walkers who turned out to honor Jorge Restrepo.
The march started near Vac-Forming Unlimited, Restrepo’s employer, where co-workers had organized the vigil. It continued down the street to the spot where Restrepo was murdered.
The vigil drew a crowd whose size surprised even those who knew Restrepo, but not because they didn’t think he deserved it.
Marchers agreed that Restrepo commanded respect through his character, which they say was defined by a strong work ethic and commitment to his family and neighborhood.
“He was a top-notch type of person,” neighbor Dennis Alduen said. “Everybody loves him. They cry because they lost a hell of a nice person.”
Ismael “Masiso” Acevedo, who once lived across the street from Restrepo, agreed. He said the neighborhood had been a close-knit place, and that Restrepo had been right in the thick of all that made it function well.
“I knew him for about seven years,” Acevedo said. “He was like a brother to me. I’ve lived here 53 years, and I’ve known everybody.”
“Nicest guy in the world,” said Carl Spavold, who lives across the street from the Restrepo residence. “He was the perfect neighbor, you know? You couldn’t find a nicer guy.”
Due to a language barrier, Spavold said he and Restrepo had not chatted much. However, he said Restrepo would always be ready with a friendly greeting for his neighbors, and was always volunteering to help them with work around their homes.
Spavold said the neighborhood had not always been a pleasant place to be. Having lived there 43 years, he said the street had been less desirable, even dangerous, when he was growing up, but had improved considerably since.
Restrepo’s death underscored worries Spavold has had in connection with a string of vacancies arising recently in a nearby apartment building. He said residents there had often sat outside at night, a possible deterrent to such mayhem.
“That would never have taken place a month or two ago,” Spavold said. “The kids would have never thought of jumping somebody, because there would be too many people around.”
Restrepo’s family apparently planned to hold memorial services for him, possibly later this week, though details were unclear Tuesday evening.
One person drawn to the neighborhood for the vigil was Pawtucket resident Juan Hernandez, the father of two of Restrepo’s grandchildren. Hernandez, who had worked alongside Restrepo at Vac-Forming Unlimited, said that while he no longer lived in their neighborhood, he and the family remained friendly.
Hernandez added that walking in the area where Restrepo took his last steps had been very difficult for those who knew him, including his former boss at the plastic molding company. And for Hernandez and the family, he said, it would likely continue to be difficult for some time.
“It’s going to be weird going back to work and him not being there,” Hernandez said. “I went back, and it seemed so empty.”
Police are asking that anyone with information about the crime call their tip line at 727-7420.