This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2006, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

A 31-year-old man is being held in the Salt Lake County jail on suspicion of murder after the man he allegedly beat last week died over the weekend.

About 11 a.m. Sunday, Jaber Priest Bennett was arrested at his residence in the 1800 West Northstar Drive (302 North). After being interviewed by police, he was booked into jail in connection with the death of 19-year-old Pilar Escoto-Ramirez and on a Nevada warrant charging him with assault on a police officer, according to Salt Lake City police.

Thursday afternoon, the victim's neighbor summoned firefighters to the man's apartment in the 300 East block of Williams Avenue (997 South). Escoto-Ramirez was found on the floor and was taken to a hospital in extremely critical condition, said police spokesman Joe Cyr.

He had suffered severe head trauma due to a beating, Cyr said. No weapons were used.

Escoto-Ramirez died at the hospital on Sunday. Police believe the beating was over a drug debt owed by Escoto-Ramirez.

While Escoto-Ramirez measures 5 feet 3 inches tall with a small build, Bennett is about 6 feet 3 inches and weighs 200 pounds, Cyr said.