OAKLAND — A 22-year-old man has been charged with murder in the beating death of another man Aug. 1 along an Oakland freeway offramp, according to authorities and court records.
In addition to the murder charge, the suspect, Raul Ramirez-Perez, of Oakland, is also charged with three counts of arson, for allegedly setting a fire near the dead man’s body and at two other sites, authorities said.
Ramirez-Perez, who was arrested Aug. 18 and formally charged Monday, is accused in the killing of Nathan Kolasa, 47. No address was listed for Kolasa. Authorities said they do not believe the men knew each other.
Kolasa was found dead about 1:30 a.m. Aug. 1 by firefighters who had extinguished a brush fire on an embankment near the 18th Street offramp from westbound Interstate 980, the California Highway said.
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Authorities said that the fire had been started near his body and he suffered some burns, but that his death had been caused by significant traumatic injuries consistent with a beating, which he had suffered before the fire.
The locations of the other arson fires was not immediately available Tuesday.
The CHP has not said how Ramirez-Perez was identified as the suspect.
He is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail and was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.
This is a developing report. Check back for updates.
