Emily Lane, Times-Picayune, January 4, 2019

New Orleans talent agency owner Marla Belin slipped into a coma following a Dec. 17 attack in the 7th Ward that would later cause her death, according to authorities, but not before she spoke to police about the man she claimed hurt her.

Tyrone Fountain, 40, faces a charge of second-degree murder in connection to Belin’s Dec. 28 death. The coroner ruled her death was attributed to head trauma. According to court records, Belin told police Fountain had threatened her prior to the attack after she rebuffed his sexual advances.

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Belin, 55, told police that on the day of the attack, the last thing she remembered was seeing the fist of a man she felt “most definitely positive” was Fountain “coming at her face, and then she lost consciousness,” according to one of two different warrants sworn by New Orleans police officers in connection to the case.

According to both warrants, Belin said she was feeding a dog in the 1700 block of North Dorgenois Street when Fountain approached her from behind. Belin told detectives Fountain “walked up to (her) and stated, ‘You’re dead bitch,’” each arrest warrant states.

Fountain took Belin’s purse, Belin told police, according to the battery and robbery warrant, at which point she saw his fist come toward her face.

Belin, the owner of NOLA Talent Entertainment, {snip} Belin told police Fountain attempted to “engage into a sexual relationship with her,” at some point, “and he became enraged when she refused his advances.”

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The Orleans Parish coroner has yet to name the victim, but friends and coworkers identified her as Marla Belin, owner of NOLA Talent Entertainment, a talent agency focused on discovering and supporting local musicians.

On Dec. 20, Fountain appeared in court, where Magistrate Judge Harry Cantrell set his bond at $20,000 and an Orleans Parish public defender represented him. He bonded out and appeared to admit to the attack in an interview with WVUE Fox 8 Monday afternoon.

“I did hit her, that’s why my hand is messed up … and the other hand is messed up from the dog,” Fountain told Fox 8. Friends told NOLA.com| Times-Picayune that Belin was feeding two dogs at the time of the attack.

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An NOPD report provides further detail about unidentified witness’ account. The report states the unidentified witness saw the attack while traveling west on North Dorgenois Street. The witness told police they saw a man grab a woman’s purse and start to attack the woman when she tried to get it back from him. As he slammed her head to the ground, the witness said, the man also punched her face. The witness saw the man flee to Aubry Street where he dumped the purse out as the woman remained on the ground, the report states.

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