A 74-year-old man was beaten to death in a WalMart store in Lakewood neighbourhood in Long Beach, California, on Tuesday.

According to witnesses,the unidentified man was attacked by a homeless man with a baseball bat.

Los Angeles police says that the case is still under investigation and it appears to be unprovoked.

A 47-year-old homeless man was taken into custody by the Los Angeles sheriff’s department.

A 74-year-old man was beaten to death in a WalMart store in Lakewood neighbourhood in Long Beach, California, on Tuesday

Neither men involved have been publicly named, and the only detail that police have released is that the beating took place in the sporting goods section of the store in Lakewood neighbourhood in Long Beach.

Lt. Eddie Hernandez said: “Witnesses have drawn the conclusion that the suspect is homeless. We haven’t confirmed that.

“The victim was in the sporting-goods section. The suspect approached him and started to attack him with a baseball bat, causing severe head trauma.”

Later reports said that the homeless man was asking shoppers for money and the elder man turned him down.

The homeless then picked up an aluminium bat from the sports section that he used to start beating the 74-year-old.

One shopper, Jennifer Thompson, was in the next aisle over when the attack occurred.

“Just think, somebody’s family is going to be home tonight and say <<My relative got beat up with a baseball bat in the sporting goods of WalMart>>. This was terrible,” the woman said.

“I heard no words, I just heard the noise,” Jennifer Thompson said.

“He must have been apparently hitting him with the bat.”

The investigation continues as police will try to gather information by looking through store security footage.