Culpeper police trying to sort out muddled facts about fight Saturday

Culpeper authorities trying to sort out facts in fight between Hispanic men that was apparently sparked by argument over laziness, national pride

Date published: 6/17/2008

An argument among four Hispanic men over who was lazier apparently escalated into a question of national pride and allegedly culminated with one man hitting another in the head with a can of beer.

According to Culpeper public information officer Wally Bunker, the altercation occurred in the 600 block of North East Street shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday.

Town police Officer Kevin Tooley was working off-duty security at the Brandywine Apartments when two men approached him and said in broken English, "Mucho problem in casa!" ("There is a big problem in the house.")

Inside the apartment, Tooley found two men with cuts to the head and called for a rescue squad. Before paramedics arrived, however, one of the victims abruptly left, Bunker said.

A Culpeper County sheriff's deputy was called to interpret, but police still could not determine exactly what happened other than four men were drinking beer and apparently got into an argument over who was lazier and whose country was the best, Bunker said.

In fact, investigators couldn't even figure out which two countries the men were discussing, he said.

All that did seem clear was that one man hit another in the head with a can of beer. Authorities are unsure how the second assault occurred.

A suspect who gave his name as Jimmy David Velasquez was located in the apartment-house hall, and was arrested and charged with felony malicious wounding and preventing someone from reporting a possible crime, a misdemeanor.

During processing, police began to question Velasquez's identity, and Bunker said officers now suspect the name he gave may be an alias.

Investigators filed reports with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in an effort to determine the man's identity.

Anyone with information about Velasquez's identity or the name and whereabouts of either the second suspect or the second victim is asked to call Investigator Andrew Terrill at 540/727-3444, extension 511.


--Donnie Johnston

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2008 ... 008/388176