Two men who police say beat a Bronx fruit vendor last week are now being charged with murder because he died of his injuries, the NYPD said.

Police say they initially took Romel Jarrett, 37, and Terrence Downes, 44, into custody on Sept. 13 after the pair assaulted 56-year-old Leslie Sanchez with a baseball bat in Fordham Heights around 7:40 p.m. the night before.

Sanchez, a father of three, was attacked while selling fruit at his usual spot on East Fordham Road and Grand Concourse, his wife Maciel Vasquez told News 12. Other vendors told the station that the two men beat Sanchez after trying to rob him.

The other vendors rallied on the street corner the next day to raise awareness for concerns about their safety on the job.

Jarrett and Downes fled on foot, and Sanchez was taken to Saint Barnabas Hospital in critical condition, police said. According to a criminal complaint, he suffered “serious, life-threatening head injuries” and was kept on life support at the hospital. Sanchez died two days later.

Jarrett and Downes both pleaded not guilty in Bronx Criminal Court, and were remanded. Their lawyers did not immediately return requests for comment.

Downes is due back in court on Oct. 10, and Romel is due back on Oct. 15.

Though major crimes like murder continue to decline citywide, the 46th precinct — which includes Fordham Heights — has experienced a 120% increase in homicides this year to date, according to data from the NYPD’s CompStat system. A total of 22 people have been killed in the precinct so far this year through Sept. 15, compared to 10 people by the same time last year.

Robberies have also increased by 17% this year, according to the data.

This story has been updated to correct a typo in its headline.