A 65-year-old man assaulted outside a Citrus Heights shopping center in August has died, roughly six weeks after the attack left him in a coma with bleeding on the brain. Alex Tarahteeff underwent emergency surgery and never fully recovered, dying on Oct. 1. The man accused of attacking him, 40-year-old Michael Cavalier, remains jailed without bail on charges tied to the assault.
The Aug. 20 assault happened at a shopping center at Greenback Lane and Auburn Boulevard, according to the Citrus Heights Sentinel. Police incident logs showed an assault with a weapon was reported at the Dollar Tree on Greenback Lane around 2:24 p.m. Public records identified Michael Cavalier as the suspect. Daniel Dubuk, who said he is one of Alex Tarahteeff’s survivors along with Nicholas Dubuk, said Tarahteeff was punched and struck his head against a brick wall, suffering what Dubuk described as devastating brain injuries.
Paul Komarchuk, along with Tony and Esther, supported Tarahteeff through his hospitalization, which stretched to roughly 40 days in a coma before he died. His body is undergoing an autopsy, and the Sacramento County coroner's office recorded his death as a homicide. His personal items are being held as evidence.
What Happened After the Assault
A video recorded at 2:25 p.m. showed police interacting with a man holding a knife or another sharp object to his neck on Auburn Boulevard. Westbound lanes were temporarily closed as police cruisers followed him down the roadway, then reopened after he was detained, the Sentinel reported.
Citrus Heights Police Sgt. Eric Dias said the man was taken into custody and that the incident did not involve a shooting or gunfire. David Jones said officers already nearby responded to the assault within minutes.
Booking and Custody
Citrus Heights Police Department arrest logs, cited by the Sentinel, show Cavalier was booked at the main jail on Aug. 20 on charges of battery causing serious bodily injury, resisting a peace officer by force or violence, and brandishing a weapon while resisting arrest. He remains in custody and is ineligible for bail. The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office said Cavalier did not appear to have a murder charge at that time, according to the outlet.
What a Homicide Classification Means
The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office explains that a homicide classification means a person was killed by one or more people; it is distinct from murder, which the office defines as the unlawful taking of a human life. The coroner’s classification alone does not establish criminal responsibility, and it is not a prosecutor’s decision to file or change charges.
A separate Sacramento County case illustrates how a prosecution can proceed after an assault victim dies: according to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, a man stabbed at a Rancho Cordova light-rail station on Aug. 12, 2023, died a few weeks later, and Roderick Earl Sowells was later convicted of second-degree murder. That case involved a stabbing, not the Citrus Heights beating.
The Sentinel’s review of records also found earlier arrests for Cavalier in the area, including arrests in 2022 and 2025 and multiple arrests in April, May and July.
Alfred Sanchez, known locally as Snack Man for the snacks, hygiene supplies and other resources he provides to unhoused people, said Cavalier is a known transient in the area around Greenback Lane and Auburn Boulevard.
Records Withheld, Questions Remain
Citrus Heights police have declined to release body-camera footage and 911 audio from the incident, citing an exemption under California Government Code § 7923.600(a). The department had said the victim was in critical condition as of Aug. 22 and in stable condition by Aug. 24, though it did not release his name at the time.
Dubuk has called for greater efforts to get sick people and criminals off the streets, following his brother's death. Funeral services for Tarahteeff are planned for Oct. 9 at 10 a.m. at Quiet Haven Cemetery on Elder Creek Road in Sacramento, Dubuk said. Friends have established a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses.
