Seven men are arraigned in fatal Back Bay beating
Seven men charged with beating a Hyde Park man to death outside a Back Bay nightclub in August pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges of murder and assault, authorities said. Each was held on $500,000 cash bail.
The seven men - Jason Benalfew, 27; Justin Cooke, 25; Jonathan Fernandez, 23; Johan Garcia, 28; Ruskyn Garcia, 25; and Michael Welch, 27, all of Lynn; and Anthony Villalobos, 21, of Revere - were arraigned on charges of second-degree murder, assault and battery, and assault with a dangerous weapon. All entered pleas of not guilty.
In addition, five other men pleaded not guilty to assault charges in the beating of two other victims in the fight, said Jake Wark, spokesman for the Suffolk district attorney.
Prosecutors allege that on Aug. 20, the 12 men, dressed in matching black tuxedos with red vests, were part of a larger group of 20 to 30 men who had gone to the 33 Restaurant & Lounge in limousines after a funeral of a friend. After leaving the club, they encountered Jose Alicea and four of his friends, whom they are accused of attacking after a short conversation. Alicea, 22, of Hyde Park, suffered severe head injuries and was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he died several days later.
“What was said is unclear,’’ Assistant District Attorney Cory Flashner said in Suffolk Superior Court yesterday. “But this was clearly not a friendly conversation.’’
Following the exchange of words, Flashner said, one or more of the defendants threw bottles at Alicea and his friends before “swarming them’’ in what he described as “a shocking and vicious gang assault that inflicted massive and severe injuries.’’
Wark said that portions of the attack were captured on video by a surveillance camera and that prosecutors will also rely on testimony of the surviving victims and other witnesses.
After the attack, the defendants attempted to flee in their limousines but were stopped by Boston police, prosecutors said.
Benalfew’s lawyer, Eric Jarosz, said his client was not involved in the attack.
“There is no evidence connecting my client to this event,’’ Jarosz said. “He was in the limo the whole time.’’
Jarosz also called into question the video footage.
“It’s shot from the wrong angle,’’ he said. “It doesn’t show you anything.’’
The defendants are due back in court Dec. 17.
