NEWTON, N.C. (WBTV) – The Catawba County Sheriff’s Office charged a man with murder on Thursday after he allegedly beat a man to death.
Investigators said the assault happened at a home on Lucky Ln. in Newton on Wednesday night.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to the home for a disorderly conduct call when they found the victim, 47-year-old Jose Figueroa, unconscious outside the home.
According to a search warrant, witnesses told deputies that Roberto Hernandez-Arreola, 49, had hit Figueroa in the head with a baseball bat.
Figueroa died the following morning, the search warrant read.
Deputies found Arreola close to the scene, they said.
“It’s kind of scary, you know, kind of scary,” a man named Benjamin, whose family lives in the area, said. “With a bat, how crazy is this world coming to?”
Investigators seized a baseball bat from the scene, according to the search warrant.
Court records show Arreola’s listed address is the home where the crime happened.
The Catawba County Sheriff’s Office said it believes Arreola is an undocumented immigrant.
A judge held him without bond Thursday morning.
Copyright 2025 WBTV. All rights reserved.