Man Arrested in Tumble Dryer Death

A 22-year-old co-worker was arrested on suspicion of murder Saturday in the death of a man who died after being tumbled for about 10 minutes in a giant clothes dryer at a Huntington Park textile plant.

Investigators said Olegario Munoz was arrested about 12 hours after other co-workers at the American Textile Conditioner plant found the battered body of Rafael Benitez, 18, of Huntington Park, inside the dryer. Officers did not disclose any possible motive in the case.

Police said Benitez apparently died of head injuries suffered as he was struck repeatedly by baffles in the tumbling barrel of the dryer, which was latched from the outside.

“The heat was on but they don’t think it had anything to do with the cause of death,” said Huntington Park Police Sgt. Carl Heinz. “He died from being bounced around inside.”