Five people detained in beating death of homeless man in Santee
Five people were detained Saturday night in connection with the death of a homeless man and the severe beating of another, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.
Deputies responded to reports of a fight on a bike path beneath California 52 in Santee, a community east of San Diego. A homeless encampment is nearby.
A 55-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene and a second man was taken to a hospital. Both had suffered “blunt force injuries to their body,” said Lt. John Maryon.
The three men and two women detained were not homeless, officials said. One of the five is a juvenile, Maryon said. The cause of the altercation remained unclear.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Sheriff’s Department homicide unit at (858) 974-2321 or (858) 565-5200.
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