Three Augusta men are facing murder charges for allegedly beating a security guard to death a week ago at a Texas gym.
Xzaviour Williams, 20, Darius Antwan Williams, 26, and Cameron Walton, 26, are accused of killing Patrick Prejean, a Jan. 22 beating that was captured on video and went viral on TikTok.
Two of the suspects – Walton and Xzaviour Williams – had returned to Augusta and were captured here Friday, pending extradition to Texas. Darius Williams was captured in Dallas, and his mugshot was not immediately available.
The incident happened Jan. 22 at the Fitness Connection in Mesquite, Texas. Witnesses said a security guard had been assaulted by several men and was lying on the ground.
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Mesquite officers immediately began administering CPR until MFD Paramedics arrived on the scene. Prejean, 43, of Dallas, was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
An investigation led to the identification of the suspects as three Augusta men.
In Richmond County, Cameron Walton has a record of arrests for marijuana, DUI and driving while license suspended. Xzaviour Williams had only speeding tickets in Richmond County, while Darius Williams had previous arrests for shoplifting, domestic violence, simple battery, reckless driving, no helmet and no driver’s license.
The homicide was announced on the police department’s website in Texas, where readers debated security at the gym.
Debbie Coolidge called it a disgusting and unacceptable incident to take place at a gym.
“The City Of Mesquite needs to demand that Fitness Connection pay to have an armed Mesquite police officer on site 24/7 as a condition of continuing to operate as a business in our city,” she said.
Preston Patterson disagreed.
“Honestly the business had nothing to do with any of this,” he stated. “Three mean people from out of state did this, for no reason. End of story.”
Locally, there were some people familiar with the Augusta men who claimed the guard was injured as the suspects defended themselves.
The viral video shows the guard escorting the suspects out of the gym, and they are clearly not happy about it. Prejean appears to push one of the men, and the assault follows.
