Baseball Bat Beating Death Leads To Arrest On Murder Charge: Police

OLDSMAR, FL — A 50-year-old Oldsmar man is being held in jail without bail on a murder charge after being accused of beating another man to death with a baseball bat.

According to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, on Friday around 2:30 p.m., deputies responded to 610 Timber Bay Circle W in Oldsmar on a report of a man being beaten with a baseball bat. Officers found 52-year-old Bryan Merriam laying face down on the ground, suffering from head trauma. Merriam was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives were told Ramon Chalas Hernandez, 50, of the 700 block of Shore Drive in Oldsmar, arrived at Merriam’s home and left carrying a metal baseball bat.

According to the sheriff's office, Hernandez approached Merriam, looking for his girlfriend, who he believed was hiding at the victim's residence. Detectives said Hernandez struck Merriam in the back of the head with the bat. After Merriam fell to the ground, Hernandez proceeded to strike Merriam several more times with the bat before leaving the scene.

About an hour later, Hernandez turned himself into deputies at the Pinellas County Justice Center at 14250 49th St. N. in Clearwater and was taken into custody.

Hernandez admitted during an interview with detectives to striking Merriam the first time out of self-defense, and multiple times after that out of anger, a release said. Hernandez suffered no injuries.

He's been charged with first-degree murder and driving under the influence, and is being held in the Pinellas County Jail without bail.