Police investigate factors of black man death

A black man was beaten, kicked, robbed and run over by a pickup truck and dragged face-down underneath it until he died. May be race became a factor in the death.

Photo: Police investigate factors of black man death

Investigators said the man was attacked in an alley, then run over at least twice early Saturday. He became caught under the truck and was "dragged for a considerable distance" before the men stopped and abandoned the truck, according to police reports.

Aaron Richard Ouelette, 21, and Michael Angelo Sanudo, 20, were each held Monday on $1 million (700,000 EUR) bond on suspicion of murder, robbery, gang affiliation and parole violation.

"They are both Hispanic," police spokeswoman Shawna Pavey said.

She declined to say why the victim was in the alley, or why he was so brutally assaulted.

"It's just horrific to think any human being could do that," she said Monday.

Yuba City police described the victim as a black man in his 30s. They were still not identifying him Monday until they could notify his family.

Sutter County District Attorney Carl Adams said he was waiting for investigators' reports before deciding what charges to file.

A witness who identified herself as T. Perico, 37, said she saw the truck stopped in the alley with the passenger looking to see if the victim was still underneath the truck. The truck then drove off again with the man still trapped, as neighbors screamed to one another.

After the suspects fled, "we ran to see if there was anything we could do," Perico said.

Police said the man was dead when they arrived.