A family is in turmoil in southeast Manteca after an altercation between two men left a 46-year-old father in critical and guarded condition and put a younger man, who had been living at the home for the last two months, behind bars.

Manteca Police Detective Sgt. Tony Souza explained that there had been an earlier disturbance in the late night hours Saturday at the home located in the 500 block of Dody Drive involving the suspect Jorge Momayo Fernandez, 32, of Tracy. Dody Drive is located south of Woodward Park and north of Woodward School in South Manteca.

Souza said that Fernandez returned to the residence shortly after midnight with another incident developing between the two men that led to Fernandez allegedly striking the older man who fell and hit his head on the street in front of his home.

Police and medics were called at 12:37 a.m. and the victim was transported to Doctors Medical Center Trauma Unit in Modesto where his condition remained critical throughout Sunday. Many family members and friends crowded the waiting room and outside the hospital holding an emotion-packed vigil for the victim.

Manteca detectives were called to the scene by patrolmen at 2:30 in the morning when the serious extent of the victim’s injuries had been determined by emergency room doctors.

Fernandez reportedly turned himself in to police during the middle of the day Sunday where he was arrested and booked at the city jail where he remained for most of the day.

Fernandez has been charged with assault involving serious bodily injury. He is being held in San Joaquin County Jail in French Camp in lieu of $50,000 bail. Sgt. Souza said if the injured victim dies of his injuries, Fernandez will be charged with murder.