Police say 53-year-old Gabriel Montoya was found unresponsive at a home on Cone Avenue late Tuesday night.
First responders tried to save him, but he died at the scene.
The Merced County Sheriff's Office says Montoya had been in a physical fight with 67-year-old Joseph Burkley.
Detectives arrested Burkley, and he was booked into the Merced County jail on a murder charge.
A motive for the homicide has not been released.
Deputies are asking anyone with information to contact the Merced County Sheriff's Office.