PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – An accused murderer sat motionless for nearly 3 hours as the lead detective on the case described the investigation for a judge who was determining whether or not bail should be set.
Diego Tejeda-Manzo was found dead near the campus of Portland State University on November 7, 2017. The 21-year-old was brutally beaten before he was shot and killed, Multnomah County prosecutors said in December.
Nicholas L. Hannan is charged with Tejeda-Manzo’s death. Hannan’s brother, 26-year-old David M. Brown, is charged with assault.
At the bail hearing
Portland Police Homicide Detective Rico Beniga testified Friday a group of 3 men brutally beat Tejeda-Manzo outside the Vue Apartment complex in Southwest Portland, and it appears he was being targeted after a physical altercation with Hannan several weeks earlier.
Hannan – who goes by the nickname of “Peaches” – said nothing during his time in court. He kept his hands clasped and continued to look down during the testimony of Beniga.
The only time Hannan looked up was when Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Attorney Amity Girt showed video of the vehicle Hannan was in when he was dropped off at a hospital after being shot.
The feud between Hannan and Tejeda-Manzo began around Oct. 23, 2017 when they had a physical fight. During that fight, Hannan claimed he suffered $12,000 in medical bills from the beating.
Around Halloween, Hannan told someone he wanted revenge against Tejeda-Manzo and made threats about wanting to kill him. Hannan’s brother reportedly made threats towards Tejeda-Manzo on social media.
Jason Short, Hannan’s criminal defense attorney, pointed out there was no evidence Hannan made any threats online.
He also countered that the so-called threats Hannan made around Halloween were not considered credible. Instead, he described them as someone “venting.” Short said Hannan was intoxicated at the time when he made comments and that the person he made the statements to never reported it to police or Tejeda-Manzo.
The night of the shooting
Hannan told police he and Brown sought out Tejeda-Manzo on November 7 and knew he was likely in the area of Portland State University.
Testimony from Friday revealed Hannan was likely tipped off to Tejeda-Manzo’s whereabouts. The confrontation between Hannan, Brown and the third person happened near the Subway restaurant.
The third person involved in the fight was not identified during Friday’s release hearing.
Detective Beniga revealed investigators recovered evidence of 2 separate guns being used the night Tejeda-Manzo was killed.
One of the guns, a 9 mm handgun, was found near Tejeda-Manzo. Investigators believe Hannan shot first and Tejeda-Manzo returned fire, wounding Hannan. Hannan’s attorney disputed that and claimed his client acted in self-defense.
Investigators believe that 7 rounds were fired from a .45 caliber handgun and one round struck Tejeda-Manzo in his chest, killing him. Police believe that .45 caliber handgun was used by Hannan, but it has not been recovered.
After the shooting, Hannan was seen by a witness limping and being helped into a black SUV.
Not long after the shooting, staff at Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center reported a walk-in gunshot victim. Video from the hospital showed Hannan and Brown coming into the hospital.
The third, unidentified person with the two brothers fled the hospital in the black colored SUV before police arrived
Hannan told investigators that he had been shot in Sherwood, a lie – according to prosecutors. Eventually, Hannan was transported to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center.
Investigaton begins
Detectives were notified of the incident and the next day interviewed Hannan while he was recovering. He was read his Miranda Rights and agreed to speak with detectives.
During the interview, which was recorded and played in court on Friday, Hannan described the October 23 fight between him and Tejeda-Manzo.
Hannan told the detectives he had done “something stupid” which is “how I got myself shot.”
He later explained he went “looking” for Tejeda-Manzo on November 7.
“I just wanted to get him back,” Hannan told the detectives. “I didn’t want to shoot nobody.”
During the interview Hannan called himself “stupid” for what he did on November 7.
“I regret every second of it,” he said during the interview.
When Beniga asked Hannan if he was seeking his own justice, Hannan replied, “Pretty much, I’ll be honest with you.”
Closing arguments at bail hearing
“Clearly, this is a case of self-defense,” Short told the judge during his closing arguments.
Short claims Hannan saw Tejeda-Manzo with a gun and that Hannan was “justified in using that firearm.”
Girt, the prosecutor assigned to the case, disagreed.
She told the judge Hannan had made threats to kill Tejeda-Manzo in the weeks leading up to his death. She also said prior to Tejeda-Manzo pulling out his gun, Hannan, Brown and the other person brutally beat Tejeda-Manzo.
She showed the judge photos from the autopsy which showed a shoe pattern on Tejeda-Manzo’s face that reportedly matched the shoes belonging to Hannan.
Brown has been released from custody pending trial. He is not facing any charges directly connected to Tejeda-Manzo’s murder. However, at an earlier hearing, Girt hinted that additional charges could come.
The judge’s bail decision
Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Kelley Skye denied Hannan’s request for bail on Friday.
Anyone with information about the investigation is asked to contact Detective Beniga 503-823-0457 or Rico.Beniga@potlandoregon.gov