Assault charges upgraded to murder for man accused in 76-year-old’s death

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Charges were upgraded Wednesday for a man accused of assaulting a 76-year-old victim last spring.

Officers with the North Charleston Police Department were dispatched to a location on Beech Avenue during the early hours of May 8, 2024, where they found an unconscious man sitting in a car being treated by EMS.

According to a report from the agency, EMS personnel and a bystander told officers that the man was believed to have been assaulted; however, there were no witnesses to the alleged assault.

Police said the victim suffered a “significant gash” to the back of his head. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment. He later died while at a hospital on December 17, 2024.

Authorities said Kent Montez Reid, 41, was later identified as a suspect in the assault. NCPD detectives upgraded Reid’s charges to murder following the victim’s death.

The Charleston County Coroner’s Office said the victim, John Johnson of North Charleston, died as a result of blunt force injury to his head from that assault.

Reid is being held at the Al Cannon Detention Center.