2nd NJ Man Faces Felonies in Wedding Brawl

The lawyer for Matthew Sofka, 26, says, he's "never been in trouble" before

A second New Jersey man is facing felony charges in a brawl between two wedding parties that was caught on video at a hotel in downtown Philadelphia.

Prosecutors say 29-year-old Westfield, N.J., resident Brian Lanza was charged Tuesday with aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy and other counts in the Oct. 7 fight at a hotel in the city's Society Hill section.

The altercation involved dozens of people in ball gowns and tuxedos and was caught on tape by a teenage hotel guest as dozens of police struggled to break things up. Authorities say a 57-year-old man suffered a fatal heart attack.

Investigators have been reviewing the video and Lanza is the second person facing felony charges. A message at a telephone listing for him said the number was not accepting calls.

The first man arrested, 26-year-old Matthew Sofka, also of Westfield, was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and other counts in connection with the fight. He's believed to be related to one of the grooms.

The fight, which was caught on video and quickly spread online, happened at a hotel in the Society Hill neighborhood. Investigators don't know what started the brawl, but alcohol was involved; two other people were cited for disorderly conduct.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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