Chris Kangas of Nevada County has died from injuries sustained when his girlfriend hit him in the head with a full beer bottle, Detective Sgt. Stephen Tripp of the County Sheriff's Department said Saturday.
Although that was not the only blow struck during the deadly domestic dispute, it apparently was the fatal one, Tripp said.
"It was a real knock-down-and-drag-out that went on for several minutes," Tripp said of the alleged clash early Thursday between the 26-year-old Kangas and Audrey Yoder, 21.
Deputies, who were called to the 13000 block of Ballantree Lane outside Grass Valley at 3:36 a.m., suspected foul play and began an investigation involving the department's major crimes unit.
CSI personnel from the California Department of Justice also were summoned to assist in processing the crime scene.
Kangas was taken to Sutter Roseville Medical Center via air ambulance and was pronounced dead Friday.
"He was pretty beat up," Tripp said. "He was brain dead and on life support from the start."
Yoder is being held at the Wayne Brown Correctional Facility on suspicion of manslaughter, police said Saturday.
A friend of Kangas who was present during the scuffle, 24-year-old Derrik Koehler of Grass Valley, was arrested and booked on suspicion of parole violation, police said.
While investigation of the incident is not complete, Koehler might have been attempting to break up the fight between Kangas and Yoder, Tripp said.
We just don't know yet how he was involved," the detective said.
-By Denny Walsh
dwalsh@sacbee.com
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