Man killed following noise complaint

Detectives with the Beaumont Police Department (BPD) have arrested a 45-year-old Mauriceville man in connection to the vehicular homicide of 38-year-old Christopher Matthews, of Beaumont.

BPD reports that officers were called to The Trace at North Major Drive apartments on Sunday, Oct. 30, at 2:32 a.m., in reference to a victim that had been struck by a vehicle. When officers arrived, they located Matthews near the back of the apartment complex suffering from severe injuries.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the victim called police at 2:28 a.m. in reference to a noise complaint coming from a residence in the 3900 block of Cheryl, behind the apartment complex. Prior to officers arriving, a disturbance between Matthews and several subjects from the residence on Cheryl occurred.

During the disturbance, Max Lee Keath allegedly left the residence on Cheryl in his vehicle, drove to the apartment complex and ran over Matthews in the parking lot, then fled the scene.

Keath was initially arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, but the charge was enhanced to murder later that day when Matthews succumbed to his injuries.