SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Investigators say two men and two women took turns assaulting a man with a metal bat when he agreed to only fight one outside of his home in Scranton.
According to Scranton Police Department, on Wednesday around 12:00 a.m. officers were called for a stabbed victim in the 1200 block of South 6th Avenue.
Once officers arrived on the scene a witness told them two men and two women, later identified as Ayesha Paiva, 23, Natasha Barbosa, 21, Elijah Smallwood, 23, and Henry Perez-Marin, 20, arrive at the house.
The victim informed police that he saw the group approaching his house, causing him to pick up a butcher knife and go outside to confront the four, court papers allege.
As stated in the affidavit, Perez-Marin told the victim that he wanted to fight him one-on-one, to which the victim agreed until mid-fight all three took turns using an aluminum baseball to strike the victim.
It was heard by a witness that one of the suspects said “I got him, he is leaking”, police say. Investigators state the victim was struck multiple times, mostly in the head causing it to split open in different locations.
All four suspects fled the scene and were later taken into custody on Acker Avenue. Pavia stated to police that she was there to pick up her three-year-old daughter from the victim, who is the child’s father.
Pavia claimed to officers that the victim was harassing her to pick up their child or he was going to leave her outside, when the group arrived Pavia said the victim threaten them with a knife, investigators say.
According to court documents, all four denied the use of a baseball bat, however, officers found a silver slugger baseball bat on the crime scene.
Investigators state in both vehicles driven by the suspects there was no child car seat, which police say would be needed if the suspects were there with the intent to pick up Pavia’s daughter.
The four have been charged with aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, simple assault, disorderly conduct, and harassment.