Daytona car dealership employee accused of fatally striking co-worker with baseball bat

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A Leesburg man has been charged with murder after police say he beat a colleague to death with a metal baseball bat while the victim was working.

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According to Daytona Beach Police, 26-year-old Steve Tilbury and the victim, identified as 50-year-old Charles Cummings, got into a fight on November 23 at Ritchey Cadillac where they both worked.

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Police later determined the confrontation between the two happened the previous night.

According to investigators, Tilbury pulled his truck into the dealership’s maintenance bay on the morning of November 23 and grabbed the bat from his truck bed.

Witnesses told police Tilbury walked up to Cummings as he was doing paperwork at his desk and, unprovoked, struck Cummings on the side of the head with the bat.

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According to his arrest report, Tilbury was then tackled by other co-workers and subdued until police arrived.

Cummings was taken to Halifax Health Medical Center for treatment but died from his injuries a week later.

During an initial interview with police, Tilbury claimed Cummings had attacked him with a knife during their earlier confrontation, but later admitted that incident took place the previous night.

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Tilbury was placed under arrest on the day of the attack and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. A charge of second-degree murder was added Wednesday after Cummings died.

Tilbury is being held in the Volusia County jail on no bond.

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Cox Media Group