A 34-year-old Pasadena man was arrested on suspicion he killed another man by drowning him in a pool in Claremont, police announced Sunday.
Claremont police responded to a 911 call about 8 p.m. Saturday concerning a pool drowning in the 900 block of Appalachian, said Claremont police Sgt. David DeMetz.
They discovered a 39-year-old man who was not breathing and was unresponsive, DeMetz said. Paramedics were called and the victim was transported to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, where he later died. His name was withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Investigators later determined that the victim and the suspect, Masoud Bitarafan, were in the pool together and they allege he held the victim under the water, which contributed to his drowning, DeMetz said.
Bitarafan was arrested and booked on a murder charge, DeMetz said. He is being held on $5 million bail, DeMetz said. However, a search of jail records put Bitarafan's bail at $2 million.
Bitarafan is currently scheduled to head to Pomona Superior Court, Dept A at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to county jail records.
