York SC man charged with murder in death of roommate after fight, police say
A York man was charged with murder Monday afternoon in the late July death of his roommate, according to police and an arrest warrant in the case.
Ira Dewitt Hayes, 61, was arrested by York Police Department patrol officers in the death of Thomas Harris, according to a release from York police spokesman Sgt. David Dover.
Harris died after police found him beaten July 25 outside a Hill Street residence where both men lived, the release said.
Hayes struck Harris several times in the ribs with a two-by-four that caused Harris’s death, according to an arrest warrant charging Hayes with murder.
York police were called to the scene around 11 p.m. by a neighbor about a fight, according to the statement from the police department. Both Hayes and Harris had injuries and were transported to a Rock Hill hospital for treatment, according to the statement and a York police incident report.
York County Coroner Sabrina Gast said in a statement that Harris died at the emergency room at Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill.
The home where the fight took place is off S.C. 49 south of downtown York. The city of York is the York County seat and has around 9,000 residents.
A conviction for murder carries a mandatory sentence of 30 years to life in prison under South Carolina law.
Hayes remains at the York County jail pending an initial court appearance.
