Murder victim dragged behind a truck after beating , suspect then lit vehicle on fire, Texas sheriff says

A 37-year-old Texas man dragged another man from the back of the truck and then lit the vehicle on fire, police say.

By the time authorities arrived on the scene, the victim was dead and the suspect now faces a murder charge.

Roman Rodriguez, 60, arrived at Robert Eugene Hoffpauir’s mother’s home and a fight broke out between the two men, which was due to a former relationship between Rodriguez and Hoffpauir’s mother, according to the Liberty County Sheriff's Office.

Hoffpauir severely beat Rodriguez during the fight and then tied a tow strap around his waist, according to the sheriff's office.

Hoffpauir tied the other end of the tow strap to Rodriguez’s truck and used the truck to drag him from his mother’s home down the road, according to the sheriff's office.

Deputies said Hoffpauir left the truck on the road and then set it on fire.

Liberty County Sheriff’s Office said Rodriguez’s body was found on the ground behind the truck, but deputies are waiting on autopsy results to determine if he died before or after the dragging.

Hoffpauir was arrested and charged with murder, according to the sheriff's office. He has been placed into the Liberty County Jail with his bond set at $1 million.