East Bay father says Ignacio Avila's death could have been avoided

CONCORD, Calif. (KGO) -- An East Bay father says a young Concord man might be alive today if police had taken action months ago.

The suspect in the Sunday morning murder of Ignacio Avila was named in a police report for attacking a teenager earlier but officers dropped the case.

Just before that stabbing incident, it appears that 18-year-old Dominic Massoni assaulted another teen at a park eight months ago.

Gabriel Lange was 16 at the time. His father told ABC7 News that Massoni sucker punched him and kicked him in the face several times.

The police report names Massoni as the person who attacked him.

While a police report was filed and several names of witnesses were given, police did not give it to the District Attorney's office because Lange didn't want to testify.

"In the back of my mind, I keep saying, 'If charges would have brought forward, there is a possibility that this kid could have been alive.' It just hurts. I can't stop, I can't give it up," Ryan Lange said.

Ryan Lange waited outside police headquarters on Wednesday to talk to an investigator to see if anything else could be done.

The victim, Avila, died Tuesday at a hospital after being stabbed Saturday night outside a party on Virginia Lane.

Police arrested Massoni and another man, Carlos Brasher, after witnesses gave a good description of their car. However, both men were later released from jail since the District Attorney won't file charges in this case.

ABC7 News asked to talk to Concord Police about Lange's incident, but they would not release any information.

CLICK HERE to donate money for Ignacio Avila's funeral expenses.