MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) — A man was arrested in connection to another man’s death in Madison Heights on Tuesday.
Police and fire crews said they responded to the 26000 block of Dequindre Road south of E. 11 Mile Road around 7:40 p.m.
When they arrived, they found a man unresponsive on the ground.
The victim has been identified as 60-year-old Robert Cavanaugh of Madison Heights. Investigators said he suffered from blunt force trauma.
“A life that was cut short and it was brutal," Cavanaugh's sister Jane Thompson said. “Everybody loved Bobby. He was just that kind of guy. He was funny.”
First responders provided aid to the victim and he was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Officers investigated at the scene, which they said was suspicious. They found and arrested a man they believe was involved in Cavanaugh’s death.
“It’s a horrible situation," Cavanaugh's neighbor Rebecca Spencer said.
Spencer says Cavanaugh was beaten to death after he stepped in to stop another neighbor from beating a dog.
“I believe it was a you’re not going to tell me how to raise my dog," Spencer added.
Spencer says Cavanaugh loved animals.
“The fact that he lost his life over a dog… that’s who he was. He’d run into a burning house to get a guinea pig," Spencer said.
Police said there’s no threat to the community.
The Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the victim’s cause of death and send potential charges to the prosecutor’s office.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim and his family during this tragic time,” the Madison Heights Police Department said in a statement.
