LAKEWOOD, Wash. -- A 79-year-old man found beaten in a Lakewood motel in June has died from his injuries, Lakewood police tell KIRO 7 Eyewitness News.

The victim, identified as 79-year-old Carl Armstrong, was found crawling on the floor of his room on June 12. Police said he had been so badly beaten that his eyes were swollen shut.

Armstrong had been staying with 37-year-old Bryan Lee Stetson; they were known to travel together, police said.

At some point, police said, Stetson became angry with Armstrong and tied him to a chair inside their room and beat him.

According to probable cause documents, Stetson was briefly questioned about the beating in June saying he "lost it" and assaulted Armstrong. Before he could be arrested, Stetson left Washington for Bakersfield, Calif.

A Lakewood detective tracked Stetson down in California and arrested him on July 17.

Lt. Heidi Hoffman of the Lakewood Police Department said Armstrong had apparently recovered from his injuries and was released from the hospital.

“He left Pierce County and went down to Cowlitz County in early July. He originally went into a nursing home, but then took a turn for the worse,” Hoffman said. He died on Tuesday.

His body will be returned to Pierce County, where the medical examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine if his death was a result of injuries received during the alleged beating by Stetson.

Police say they don't know is why Stetson attacked and beat Armstrong or why the two were staying together in motels, traveling around the state.

Stetson has been charged with first-degree assault and kidnapping. He remains jailed in Tacoma. No decision on changing the charges against Stetson to include murder will be made until the cause of death is determined.