Authorities have released the name of the victim and suspect in Wednesday’s apparent homicide in West Sacramento.
The victim has been identified as Herbert Ublic Rhodes Jr., 60 — not 55 as police previously reported — of Sacramento. An autopsy was still underway late Thursday afternoon to determine his cause of death, Yolo County Chief Deputy Coroner Gina Moya said.
West Sacramento police say Rhodes was fatally beaten with a pipe and cinderblocks by 26-year-old Kelly Dema Carew of Sacramento, who is being held without bail at the Yolo County Jail. Her arraignment is scheduled for 11 a.m. today (Friday) in Yolo Superior Court.
The alleged beating death occurred at about 4:45 a.m. Wednesday outside the Great Value Inn, a motel on West Capitol Avenue where Rhodes had been staying.
His relationship to Carew and the motive for the crime remain under investigation, West Sacramento police Sgt. Roger Kinney said Thursday. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police at 916-372-3375.