San Diego

Homicide detectives arrested three men Tuesday afternoon on suspicion of murder in connection with the beating death of a 24-year-old San Diego City College student in East San Diego, police said.

Three weeks ago, Solomon Worku of Ethiopia was found on the sidewalk near his home in the 3600 block of 42nd Street, unconscious and with head wounds. Witnesses reported that Worku had been attacked and beaten by three men.

Worku never regained consciousness and died from his injuries two days later on May 27 at Mercy Hospital.

Detectives arrested three men Tuesday: Larry Williams, 18; Jimmy Conner, 18, and Philip Jackson, 27. Jackson was incarcerated on unrelated charges and the other two were taken from their San Diego residences.

Police said the beating was gang-related. The suspects, allegedly members of the Crips gang, were chasing three rival gang members on 42nd Street when they mistook Worku for one of the men they were chasing. Worku was smoking a cigarette while sitting on a bench rail.

According to a family friend, Worku and his wife, Gennet Teklu, who does not speak English, had been in this country for about 18 months. They came to the United States from the Sudan, where they had been refugees. They have two children, ages 2 1/2 and 7 months.