UNION COUNTY LOCALSOURCE LOCALSOURCE.COM THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2011 — PAGE 9

Three indicted inSummit murder

By Cheryl HehlStaff Writer

SUMMIT — A grand jury heardenough evidence to indict threemen in connection with the murderof dishwasher Abelino Mazariegowho was relaxing in the promenadeafter work on a blistering hot Julyevening.

Indictments were handed downagainst Nigel Dumas, 19, of Mor-ristown, Khayri Williams-Clark,19, of Summit and Hakean Fitzger-ald, 18, also of Summit. Accordingto First Assistant Prosecutor AlbertCernadas Jr., Fitzgerald had neverbeen named previously because hewas charged as a minor.

Each of the men face threecounts, including felony murder,first-degree murder and robbery.Felony murder is an unlawfulhomicide that occurs in the act orattempted act of a felony, such as arobbery.

The three men are accused ofbeating to death Mazariego, 47, onJuly 17, while other teenagerslooked on, one filming a cell-phoneaccount of the beating and robbery.

According to Cernadas Jr.,Mazariego, a Summit resident, hadjust finished his shift around 7:30p.m. at at Dabbawalla, a nearbyIndian restaurant where he hadworked for the past three years as adishwasher. As soon as he left therestaurant, the Salvadoran nativestopped at a nearby liquor storebefore heading to the Promenade tosit on a bench and relax after his10-hour shift.

Mazariego was sitting with hisshirt off and drinking when theteens entered the park at approxi-mately 9 p.m. While prosecutorofficials made a point of not criti-cizing the fact the dishwasher was

drinking, they did say the fact hewas inebriated may have con-tributed to what look place next.

It was around 9 p.m. when 14teenagers entered the Promenadeand began talking to Mazariego.Several of the teens, Cernadas said,hatched a plan to steal cash andproperty from the Mazariego.

At some point, according to theinvestigators, Williams-Clark stoodbehind the victim and held a whiteT-shirt over the victim's head whileFitzgerald, who was 17-years-old atthe time, punched Mazariego with"brutal force." Dumas thenpunched the victim a second time.The force of the blow knocked theman unconscious and the teenagersall fled the area.

Good Samaritans discovered thevictim and contacted police • whosaw he was taken to Overlook Hos-pital in Summit. Doctors thereinformed officers that Mazariegowas in a grave state, but there wasno indication a crime had takenplace.

Several days later, a familyfriend of the victim reported thatshe had seen a video of the attackand told the family. The familyalerted police to the existence ofthe video on July 20, just a fewhours before Mazariego died. Sum-mit police immediately launched aninvestigation and were able to iden-tify the teenager who recorded theattack, as well as the teens suspect-ed of committing the crime againstthe resident.

The irony of the July 17 murderis the cell phone video taken by theteenager at the scene actuallyhelped authorities solve the crime.Without it, police may never haveknown the father of four had been avictim of such a horrific crime.

SUMMIT BRIEFSRegistration is set tobegin in February

Registration for Summit PublicSchool kindergarten for the 2011-2012 school year will take placeFeb. 23, 24, and 25.

Kindergarten is open to all Sum-mit children who will be 5 years oldon or before Sept. 30, 2011.

Registration applications areavailable at the Summit PrimaryCenter at Jefferson, 110 AshwoodAve., the Summit Primary Center atWilson, 14 Beekman Terrace, theSummit Board of Educationoffices, 14 Beekman Terrace and atall of the Summit elementaryschools. Applications and informa-tion can also be found on the dis-trict's website, located at www.sum-mit.kl2.nj.ua. Appointments mustbe made to register children at thePrimary Center they will attend. Ifparents do not know what Primary

Center their child will attend, theyshould call Jeannine Dotten at 908-918-2100, ext. 3102.

To schedule a registrationappointment, call Eileen Morten-son at the Jefferson Primary Center,908-918-2160 ext. 6752, or JudyShulze at the Wilson Primary Cen-ter, 908-918-2175, ext. 6652"

New way to pay taxesAs of the November tax quarter,

the city of Summit has enhanced itsservices for residents by offering anew payment method.

Property tax payments can bemade by direct ACH debit paymentwhich will electronically debit yoursavings or checking account.

This is at no cost to residents.Go to the city's website,

www.cilyofatiinmit.org and click onthe link for ACH direct paymentapplication.

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