Thread: 3 Arrested at Mass. Baby Shower Brawl

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1809019

3 Arrested at Mass. Baby Shower Brawl
3 People Arrested After Shooting, Brawl at Baby Shower in Massachusetts
The Associated Press
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - A baby shower erupted into a fight among guests in which one man was shot and several other people, including the seven-months-pregnant guest of honor, were beaten with a stick, police say.

Three people were arrested after the brawl, described by police as a "baby shower gone bad."

Police said the shooting victim, Aristotle Garcia, got into a fight with a man who is dating his ex-girlfriend. The argument, over whether the woman let their 5-year-old daughter drink beer, escalated and drew in two other people Jazz Rivas and Juan Velazquez, said Police Lt. Cheryl C. Claprood.

When the baby shower's hostess tried to intervene, Rivas began hitting some of the guests, including the 22-year-old mother-to-be, with a large stick, she said.

Velazquez fired a gun in the air, then fired it into the crowd, hitting Garcia in the stomach, according to police. Garcia, 26, was in stable condition at Baystate Medical Center. The mother-to-be was treated after the incident Saturday and released.

Velazquez, 19, was arrested Tuesday and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, armed assault with intent to murder. He had not yet been arraigned as of Wednesday morning.

The man Garcia was initially fighting with, Antonio Santiago, 25, pleaded innocent to similar charges on Tuesday and was ordered held in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Rivas, 22, pleaded innocent to three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and one count of assault and battery on a pregnant female. His bail was set at $10,000.

http://www.masslive.com

Suspect sought in shower brawl
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
By MARLA A. GOLDBERG
mgoldberg@repub.com


SPRINGFIELD - Springfield police were searching yesterday for Juan Velasquez, 19, in connection with Saturday's bizarre baby shower brawl, in which a male guest was shot in the stomach and the expectant mother struck with a large stick.

Springfield Police Lt. Cheryl C. Claprood said there is a warrant out for Velasquez, who has a last known address of 36 Oswego St. and is suspected of shooting Aristotle Garcia, 26, 102 Canon Circle.

Claprood said that Garcia was in good condition at Baystate Medical Center after receiving a bullet wound during the fight at a baby shower held at 12 Pasadena St. Meanwhile, the mother-to-be, Melissa Fuentes, 22, of 523 Grayson Drive, was released from the hospital on Sunday. Fuentes had gone into premature labor after being smacked in the back with a large stick by Jazz Rivas, 22, of 27 High St., according to Claprood and Hampden County Assistant District Attorney Corrine A. Rock.

Rivas and Antonio Santiago, 25, of 10 Chestnut St., were arraigned yesterday in Springfield District Court before Judge William J. Boyle, where Rivas denied charges including aggravated assault and battery, and Santiago pleaded innocent to armed assault with intent to murder and other crimes. Boyle ordered Rivas held on $10,000 cash bail and Santiago on $50,000.

The brawl arose from an argument at about 4:30 p.m. at a Wendy's Restaurant between two shower guests, namely Garcia and Wanda Malave, 22, of Springfield, who have a 5-year-old daughter together, Claprood said. The two got into a dispute over whether Malave had let the child drink beer.

At about 8 p.m., Garcia and Malave showed up at the baby shower, Claprood said, Malave accompanied by her new boyfriend, Santiago. Santiago began yelling at Garcia and then left with Malave, stating, "I'm coming back with my boys," Claprood said.

Santiago and Malave later returned with Rivas and Velasquez, who had a gun, Claprood said. Malave began arguing again with Garcia, and the shower's hostess, Mimiable Calderon of 12 Pasadena St., tried to intervene. However, Rivas began hitting people with a large stick, including Fuentes, who is about seven months pregnant, and hitting Fuentes' brother Ruben Zeno, 16, in the head, Claprood said.

Rock told the court that Velasquez initially shot his gun into the air, but then fired into the crowd, striking Garcia. Doctors initially feared that the bullet had penetrated a major organ, Claprood said, but during surgery, found that it had not.

Pretrial conferences for Rivas and Santiago are set for May 2 in Springfield District Court.

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