A grand jury has declined to indict a suspect in the fatal stabbing of a groom who was killed outside a Staten Island restaurant after his engagement party.
The Staten Island District Attorney's office said in a brief statement Tuesday that a grand jury spent three weeks weighing evidence and testimony against Redinel Dervishaj on charges related to the death of Antonio Lacertosa, 27, outside the Espana Restaurant.
The grand jury declined to indict.
“My thoughts and prayers go out to Antonio Lacertosa’s family and to his fiance as they try to cope with the pain of their loss,” District Attorney Daniel M. Donovan Jr. said in the statement. “His death was a tragic and senseless end to a night that began as a celebration of a young couple’s new life together. “
Donovan did not elaborate on the grand jury's decision.
Some accounts of the evening said Dervishaj and the manager of the restaurant had pulled into the driveway when they saw two members of Lacertosa's group urinating outside.
A melee ensued, and the two men were reportedly surrounded by a large group. At one point, Dervishaj was thrown onto the hood of a car, according to the New York Post. After trying to flee the group, he is said to have grabbed a knife from the kitchen and stabbed Lacertosa.
Local
Dervishaj was arrested at an aunt's home in Palos Hills, Ill. days later.
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