By: Richard L. Smith
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office will lead the investigation into a violent physical altercation that resulted in a Newark resident losing his life Saturday morning.
According to a preliminary investigation, police were dispatched to the vicinity of 322 Bloomfield Avenue to investigate reports of a fight in progress around 3:50 a.m.
Units arrived and found a male victim lying on the ground heavily bleeding, near the El Refugio Sports Bar.
The victim, identified by individuals in the community as Mr. Fernando Valdiviezo, was rushed to University Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead a short time later.
Residents on North 3rd Street told RLS Media that they heard a loud verbal dispute between two males and then observed the victim and suspect engaged in a physical confrontation.
During the fight, the unidentified suspect brutally stabbed Mr. Valdiviezo then fled the scene. Witnesses told RLS Media that the suspect continued to kick and assist Valdiviezo while he laid on the ground.
Individuals we spoke to inside the bar said they knew Valdiviezo as a very nice guy but stopped short of confirming if the alteration began in the bar.
The suspect ran from the scene and remains at large. Police say no other injuries were reported.