Hilton Ruiz in Coma

By I May. 25, 2006

Pianist Hilton Ruiz has been in critical condition and unconscious in a New Orleans hospital since Wednesday.

Ruiz was found on Bourbon Street with a skull fracture and broken bones in his face, according to his agent, Joel Chriss. While Chriss was originally told by the New Orleans police that Ruiz had fallen, doctors mentioned that Ruiz’s serious injuries indicate a more violent cause.

“One could easily draw the conclusion that he was attacked,” Chriss told the Associated Press. “Though lawyers have asked us not to characterize it that way because we have no proof, no suspect and no weapon.”