Assault victim dead

An Oroville man hospitalized since being brutally assaulted in early July died on Monday (Aug. 14), according to an Oroville Police Department press release. An autopsy to determine whether he died from those injuries is pending, and the investigation is now being treated as a homicide.

Howard Randell Brimm, 62, had been in critical condition at an area hospital since the incident. He was found by an officer who heard screaming around 1:30 a.m. on July 5 while patrolling near Myers and Corto streets. The officer turned on his spotlight and saw Brimm lying in the middle of the roadway with serious head injuries, and a suspect fleeing.

That suspect, a 17-year-old, was arrested that afternoon and charged with assault with a deadly weapon causing great bodily injury. He is being held without bail at Butte County Juvenile Hall.