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An 89-year-old man who was beaten on a bus near Culver City three weeks ago died in a hospital yesterday, and now authorities are investigating whether the beating led directly to the man's death.
The victim, whose name has not been released, died at Cedars-Sinai at 5:30 am on Saturday, according to the sheriff's department.
The victim was beaten while he was on a bus near the intersection of Venice Boulevard and Main Street near downtown Culver City on October 21. Luke Schoedel, 35, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of felony assault and felony elder abuse. He's currently at the county jail.
The victim was treated at Cedars-Sinai after the attack, before he was released. But then he was re-admitted to Cedars on November 6, where he died days later. Now authorities are waiting for the coroner's report. Steve Whitmore told City News Service, "We don't know yet whether the man died as a result of that assault, or for some other reason."
If the injuries in the beating led to the man's death, Schoedel could face murder charges. He's scheduled to be arraigned on December 12.
This is the second recent attack on a bus near Culver City that we've heard about in recent weeks. A man raped a mentally disabled woman in the back of a bus last week in Culver City.
