Steve Dutton, left, and his husband, Tom Lang. Lang died Sept. 10 after an altercation with a homeless man on a Miami street three days earlier.
Victim was married to former
Samaritan House CEO Steve Dutton
David Taffet | Senior Staff Writer
taffet@dallasvoice.com
Murder suspect Evans Celestin (photo courtesy Miami Dade Corrections)
A homeless man in Miami has been charged with murder in connection with the death of Tom Lang, 71, husband of former Samaritan House CEO Steve Dutton.
Police arrested Evans Celestin, 38, and charged him with battery on a person 65 or older, felony battery and drug possession after Lang was injured in a confrontation between the two men. The charge was elevated to second degree murder several days later after Lang died.
Celestin is being held without bail.
The confrontation happened Wednesday, Sept. 7, as Dutton and Lang were walking across the street in downtown Miami. Dutton told police he had seen Celestin causing disturbances downtown on several occasions, and when he saw him again that day, he took a picture of him to give to police. Dutton said Celestin saw him take the photo and crossed the street to confront him and Lang. He said Celestin walked around him and pushed Lang down.
Lang hit his head on the pavement when he fell and began to bleed from his ears. Paramedics transported Lang to a local hospital where he died of his injuries three days later on Saturday, Sept. 10.
Funeral services for Lang will be held at Lena Pope Chapel, 3131 Sanguinet St. in Fort Worth at 6 p.m. on Oct. 24.
Samaritan House in Fort Worth was founded in 1991 as housing for people living with HIV/AIDS. Dutton headed the organization for 20 years and retired in 2012. He and Lang retired to Miami.
