Man Pulled From Truck, Beaten To Death After Trying To Run Over Group Of People

Hawthorne, CA – Police said a man was pulled out of his truck and beaten to death in Hawthorne early on Saturday morning after he tried to run over a group of people on the sidewalk in front of a sports bar.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) said it received multiple 911 calls at about 12:10 a.m. on Oct. 9 about a man trying to run people over on the sidewalk, KNBC reported.

When deputies arrived on the scene in front of the Rock It Sports Lounge and Grille, located in the 14,200-block of Hawthorne Boulevard, they found 40-year-old Melguin Lopez Santos dead on the sidewalk.

Officials said that Santos had gotten into an altercation with some other patrons inside the sports bar and had been asked to leave, KNBC reported.

Witnesses told deputies that Santos left the bar and got into his pickup truck and then drove it at a group of people who were standing in front of the bar.

LASD officials said Santos lost control of his truck and hit a tree, KNBC reported.

“Surrounding patrons attempted to take the driver out of the vehicle, but the driver was able to accelerate and drove his truck into a nearby building,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement. “Patrons again took the driver out of the vehicle, and a physical altercation ensued, at this time, Hawthorne police arrived on scene.”

Santos was on the ground when police arrived on the scene, KNBC reported.

Medics attempted to resuscitate him but failed, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

“There was a body laying here. It was covered with a white sheet, and there was a truck parked in this direction,” Emir Perez, who lives nearby, told KCAL.

The initial statement from LASD said that there were four men who were considered suspects in Santos’ death, KNBC reported.

LASD is assisting Hawthorne police with their investigation of the incident.

Authorities said all four suspects were cooperating with the investigation, KCAL reported.

No arrests have been made yet in connection with Santos’ death.

Authorities said the investigation was ongoing, KCAL reported.