Marietta man indicted for beating man to death with piece of lumber

A Marietta man, Efren Jimenez Padron, has been indicted on charges alleging he beat Lorenzo Tatum to death with a piece of two-by-four lumber with exposed screws, which seriously disfigured the victim.

According to his arrest warrant, Padron, 43, was accused of the horrific killing of Tatum after an altercation around noon on Sunday, April 30. Tatum’s body was found behind the Latinos Beauty Salon in the Westside Shopping Center on Sandtown Road, according to the Marietta Police Department.

A Cobb County grand jury indicted Padron on one count of malice murder, three counts of felony murder, one count of aggravated assault, and two counts of aggravated battery.

Said Chuck McPhilamy, the Public Information Officer for the Marietta Police Department, “This one is certainly a strange one. It’s just uncommon to have someone pick up a piece of lumber and brutally beat someone to death with that.”  

Police say an argument occurred between Padron and the victim before Padron beat the victim to death. Said McPhilamy, “We can’t confirm what caused that argument nor do we know how it escalated to the point that it left one man deceased. He does admit to being at the scene and that there was an altercation.” 

Police officials said Padron was known to the police department as a local transient.
When confronted by police, Padron admitted to being involved in an altercation with Tatum. Police said Padron could not explain the altercation or how it started.

Police are asking for the public’s help. If you have information about what led up to the incident, please call the Marietta Police Department.

Padron has remained in jail since his arrest without bond, per jail records. Padron also has a hold on him from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.