Civil rights activists call for justice after man was killed after fight in Hawthorne

HAWTHORNE, Calif. (KABC) -- A group of activists are calling on city officials in Hawthorne to introduce a reward for the arrests of the men who allegedly killed a driver involved in a fight over the weekend.

Melguin Santos, 40, was beaten to death after he got into an altercation with a group and was kicked out of the Rock It Sports Lounge on Hawthorne Boulevard early Saturday morning.

Police say after the altercation, Santos got into his pickup and tried to run the group over.

Santos ended up missing the people, but crashed his vehicle into a nearby building, according to investigators.

READ MORE: Man beaten to death after trying to run over group of people in Hawthorne, police say

A driver accused of trying to hit a group of people with his car in Hawthorne over an altercation was beaten to death shortly after, according to police.

Police say four men pulled Santos out of the truck and began attacking him. They're now considered suspects in his death.

"We understand Mr. Santos was wrong for his actions, but this mob of angry vigilantes, or now killers ... never had the right to beat a man to death," said Najee Ali, the director of Project Islamic Hope. "They should have held him for law enforcement officials. Instead they took vengeance and the law in their own hands."

As of Monday afternoon, police have not released information on the four suspects.

"City officials should act swiftly to introduce a reward for anyone helping capture the killers of Santos to send a strong message that we live in a civilized society that will not allow anyone to take the law into their own hands and murdering another citizen," said Ali.

Anyone with information on this case is urge to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.