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Red Bluff Police Say Man Dragged Behind Motorcycle Was 62 Years Old

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Red Bluff police arrested 37-year-old Ray Cain Jr., on suspicion of murder Monday night. An officer allegedly saw Cain leaving an apartment complex while dragging a 62-year-old man behind his motorcycle. 

 

A chase ensued, and an officer shot multiple rounds at Cain in an attempt to get him to stop, police said. The shots missed, and the man Cain was dragging came loose from the motorcycle during the pursuit.

Police Chief Kyle Sanders told NSPR the man was roped up at the ankles. His name is being withheld pending notification of family. The Tehama County Coroner’s Office deferred to the police chief on Wednesday when asked if the family had been notified.

 

Sanders says police are trying to figure out the circumstances surrounding Cain’s encounter with the victim.

 

“That’s really the big question,” Sanders said. “We have a theory, but it’s just a theory. And I don’t want to provide conjecture this morning. I want to speak about what we know for certain. Mr. Cain has not told us.”

 

Sanders said he believes Cain and the man knew each other. The victim’s apartment is located directly above Cain’s, and police also believe there was a struggle inside the victim’s apartment before he was tied up.

 

The police chief said he wasn’t aware of any information that would indicate the man was killed because of his race, religion or sexual orientation. The suspect and the victim were both described as white.

 

An autopsy is scheduled later this week. Sanders says he hopes the examination will reveal whether the victim was killed prior to or as a result of being dragged behind a motorcycle.

 

“I think that will be key, and there’s a possibility that answer may also add additional charges – I would think – of torture and so forth if he were found to have been alive during that time,” Sanders said. 

 

Cain remains in custody at the Tehama County jail. It’s unclear whether he has retained an attorney.