Robert Gallion, 39 [Updated]

Robert Gallion, a 39-year-old white man, died Tuesday, Jan. 25, 11 days after he was strangled while driving on the southbound 5 Freeway, near Calgrove Boulevard in Santa Clarita, according to Los Angeles County coroner's officials.

Ed Winter, spokesman for the coroner's office, said Gallion was assaulted Jan. 14 about 5:45 p.m.

He was driving in a car with his wife and her son when, for some unknown reason, the son began choking Gallion.

When Gallion stopped the car he and his stepson got out, Winter said, and the stepson continued to choke Gallion until he became unresponsive.

The victim was taken to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, where he remained until his death Jan. 25. Coroner's records show Gallion died from "manual strangulation, anoxic brain injury," or lack of oxygen to the brain.

The coroner's office had no other details about the case, including whether the assailant was arrested.

The Times has contacted homicide detectives to obtain more information about the investigation and will post an update as soon as possible.

[Update Feb. 22: Harris Evans, Gallion's stepson, was arrested and charged in connection with the victim's death, said sheriff homicide Det. Gene Okada, who is handling the investigation.

Okada said there was no history of family problems and authorities do not know the motive for the killing.

Evans, 23, has been charged with one count of murder and one count of attempted murder, according to the felony complaint. It says, “on or about January 14, 2011... [Evans] did unlawfully and with malice aforethought attempt to murder Robert Gallion."

The defendant is being held in lieu of $1-million bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 3 at the North Valley Superior Court in San Fernando.]

-- Sarah Ardalani