RANDOLPH, MASS. (WHDH) - An altercation near a Randolph restaurant left one man in critical condition and another under arrest early Friday morning.
Randolph Police Chief Anthony Marag said it was around 2 a.m. when a sergeant on patrol saw two men fighting near the parking lot of Flames Restaurant on N. Main Street.
One of the men ran off as the sergeant approached, according to Marag, while the other, a 45-year-old Randolph resident, remained and needed medical attention after suffering multiple stab wounds.
The party that allegedly ran, later identified as Steve Antiro Lopes, 42, was soon located and taken into custody.
According to a police report, Lopes, also a Randolph resident, claimed he acted in self-defense during the fight and that he had been attacked first. He also claimed the man had wanted money and carried a small knife with him, which was used to injure Lopes.
The report noted that Lopes suffered cuts to his fingers and forearm, as well as a puncture wound to his shoulder. According to police, Lopes also claimed he was able to get the knife away from the other man and used it himself.
Officials said the suspect apparently got rid of the knife afterwards, which officers were unable to locate despite an extensive search.
Following the incident, Lopes was charged with Attempted Murder and Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon. He was arraigned in Quincy District Court on Friday where the prosecution recounted the incident, as well as the wounds suffered by the victim who was later taken to a hospital in Boston.
“Officers immediately observed that he was bleeding,” Prosecutor Kevin Forbes told the court on Friday. “Officers observed what they believed to be at least four stab wounds in his abdomen and chest. The victim was having difficulty breathing and speaking – he was essentially only able to say ‘he stabbed me.'”
Lopes is currently being held without bail, pending a dangerousness hearing next week. According to police, the stabbing victim remained in critical condition as of midday on Friday and was on a ventilator, but is expected to recover.
Marag said his department is still investigating what led up to the stabbing. He also commended the work of Sgt. Scott Sherman, the sergreant who initially responded.
“Sgt. Sherman’s keen observation skills while on patrol this morning resulted in the discovery of this incident as it was ongoing, which helped ensure that the victim immediately received treatment for his injuries, as well as allowed officers to quickly arrest the suspect,” Chief Marag said.
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