Cape Cod man charged in baseball bat beating freed

BARNSTABLE, Mass.—A Superior Court judge overturned a lower court's decision on Friday and freed a Cape Cod man accused of using a baseball bat to assault a New York man because he thought he was a Yankees fan.

Robert Correia, of Falmouth, was released on personal recognizance by Barnstable Superior Court Judge Gary Nickerson under several conditions, including random alcohol testing. The 20-year-old had been ordered held without bail earlier this month by a district court judge.

Correia is charged with beating William Nestor, of Northport, N.Y., with an aluminum bat as Nestor waited with his family in traffic following a July 4 fireworks display.

Nestor said he was attacked after he asked a group of men to stop taunting people with New York license plates. Correia claims he acted in self defense.

Nickerson admonished the media Friday for blowing the incident out of proportion.

"Because the words Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees were interjected into this case, this thing spun out of control," he said.

The judge also said that if Correia pleaded guilty to assault and battery with a dangerous weapon he probably would receive two weeks in a jail and probation.

------

Information from: Cape Cod Times, http://www.capecodonline.com