MacKenzie Elmer, and Charly Haley

Des Moines Register

A 65-year-old bicyclist assaulted by two men May 1 has died and, police say, the unknown perpetrators could now face homicide charges.

Charles Wesley Brown of Des Moines died Tuesday at a hospital, according to a news release from the Des Moines Police Department. He was riding his bicycle in the 2800 block of Southeast 14th Street at 10:35 p.m. May 1 when two men punched him in the face, knocking him off his bike, according to a police report.

The two men left Brown lying in the street with a swollen eye and blood coming from his mouth and nose.

A witness described the suspects to police as white men, both in their 20s, who fled from the scene in a silver 1996-2003 era Pontiac Grand Prix four-door sedan.

Des Moines Police Sgt. Paul Parizek said officers have no information on what prompted the attack, which is under investigation.

The witness, Denisha Betts, told The Des Moines Register on Tuesday that she frequently drives along Southeast 14th Street in the area where she saw Brown assaulted. She had seen him riding his bicycle in the area before, but she had never met him, she said.

"I was hoping he would pull through. It's such a sad situation," said Betts, 31, of Des Moines.

Brown could not speak when Betts tried to help him after the attack, she said.

Betts was driving to work when she saw two men run toward Brown on his bicycle, she said. "One of the guys ran up and punched him twice and he fell off the bike," she said.

She turned her car around to see if she could help, and she saw the two men get into the silver car that she later described to police officers.

Police ask anyone with information on the identities of these suspects or the associated vehicle to contact police at 515-283-4811 or Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa at 515-223-1400 or www.crimestoppersofcentraliowa.com.

This is the city's third homicide of 2016.