A grandfather was taken off life support Wednesday, days after he was beaten in a Starbucks parking lot in Rocklin, according to KTLA sister station KTXL in Sacramento.
Robert Ketner’s family said they have been told his stop at the Starbucks in the Sacramento-area city on Sunday turned violent after he confronted a man outside for playing loud music.
“He was kind of sitting outside, drinking his latte when the vehicle of some sort came by,” the family member, who did not want to be identified, explained. “It was like really loud music; people were complaining about it. So, he pointed out, like, which car it was and asked them to turn their music down.”
The argument then turned physical, police said. When officers arrived, they found Ketner, 69, unconscious. He was taken to a nearby hospital but never woke up.
“Whatever the argument was, no one deserves to lose their life,” Rocklin Police Department Cpl. Zack Lewis said. “So, it’s a sad thing that we have to experience this.”
Officers arrested 20-year-old River Baumann Sunday night on assault and other charges, but he was later released after posting bail.
However, Bauman was rearrested after Keutner’s death and could face a manslaughter charge, KTXL reported.
The victim’s family said they take some solace in the fact that Baumann has been arrested, but they said Ketner will be missed.
“He is loved by a lot of different people,” a family member told KTXL. “It’s really hard to kind of process that he’s gone now.”
Police have not confirmed what led to the fight. They are asking any witnesses to come forward amid the investigation, which is ongoing.
