SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Five people were arrested, and one of them is accused of murder, after a man died following a fight earlier this month in Scottsdale.
What we know:
According to Scottsdale Police, Thomas John Pizzitola was found lying unconscious on a sidewalk near Scottsdale Road and 1st Avenue at around 2:15 a.m. on Oct. 11. He was rushed to a hospital but did not survive.
What started as a night out quickly turned violent, ending with his death and five people arrested.
According to court records, the incident began when Pizzitola and two friends, reportedly being unruly, were kicked out of Pattie’s First Avenue Lounge.
While outside in the rain, one of Pizzitola’s friends allegedly bumped into a woman, sparking an argument that escalated into a fight between Pizzitola’s group and five suspects.
Prosecutors said a cellphone video shows the moment 24-year-old Drew Meneses allegedly threw the punch that caused Pizzitola’s fatal brain injury.
“During that cellphone video, what you can see is victim #1 standing with his arms to his side, and you can see the defendant walk up behind him and essentially sucker punch him in the head,” Prosecutor Angela Andrews said.
Meneses, who is being held on a $1 million bond, told the court, “I just, it was a bad night. It was not supposed to happen like that at all and there was no malicious intent for that at all.”
The people involved in the fight reportedly left the area before officers arrived.
Dig deeper:
On Oct. 22, five people were arrested in connection with the incident:
- Julius Husser, 27, accused of aggravated assault and assault
- Krista Molina, 27, accused of assault and disorderly conduct
- Tony Becker, 26, accused of aggravated assault and assault
- Drew Meneses, 24, accused of second-degree murder
- Mark Whitford, 23, accused of aggravated assault
Top row: Tony Becker, Mark Whitford, Krista Molina. Bottom row: Drew Meneses, Julius Husser
Map of where the incident happened
The Source: The Scottsdale Police Department
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