A California man was arrested on suspicion of murder Friday after a brazen daytime attack in affluent Beverly Hills, where authorities allege he dragged another man with his car, ultimately killing the victim.
Police said the incident happened at 12:42 p.m. with multiple 911 callers reporting an assault with a deadly weapon near Wilshire and San Vicente boulevards.
Authorities say a verbal dispute between Christopher Cornelius, 54, of San Bernardino, and the unidentified victim escalated into a violent attack. Witnesses reported that Cornelius beat the man with a metal object, like a pipe or hammer.
Cornelius then allegedly drove a white sedan onto the wrong side of the road, struck the victim with his car as he was trying to get up off the ground, and dragged him roughly 100 to 200 feet along San Vicente Boulevard. A graphic video of the horrifying attack was posted to social media.
Officers found the victim critically injured, and he later died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
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Police established a containment area and quickly arrested Cornelius, who was found hiding in a nearby building.
Cornelius was arrested on a murder charge and is being held on $2 million bail. Police said he has an extensive criminal history, and have not released any additional details about the victim or if he had a connection to Cornelius.
The Independent contacted the Beverly Hills Police Department for more information.
Homicides are rare in the wealthy enclave of Beverly Hills, with the city’s last reported criminal homicide in 2022, according to crime reports on the department’s website. Violent crimes, such as robberies and serious assaults, are also far less common than in surrounding areas of Los Angeles.
Anyone with information about the assault is asked to contact the BHPD at 310-550-4951 or text “TIP BHPDALERT” followed by the tip information to 888777.
