By: Richard L. Smith
An Elizabeth man was arrested in connection with a fatal assault that occurred last year, according to Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel, Elizabeth Police Director Earl Graves, and Elizabeth Police Chief Giacomo Sacca.
Regis Pelegrino Motas, 26, faces one count of first-degree aggravated manslaughter.
The charges stem from an incident on July 9, 2023, when Elizabeth Police responded to a report of an injured male at El Monsignor Lounge, located at 654 Elizabeth Avenue.
Officers discovered Jose Lopez suffering from a head injury.
Lopez was initially treated at University Hospital and later transferred to a rehabilitation facility, where he succumbed to his injuries on March 25, 2024.
The investigation, conducted by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit and the Elizabeth Police Department, determined that Motas, who was a security guard at the establishment, was responsible for the assault.
Motas was apprehended without incident on July 12, 2024, and is currently held at the Essex County Jail pending his detention hearing on July 17, 2024.
The investigation is ongoing.
Authorities urge anyone with additional information about Motas to contact Union County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Detective Kevin Stanicki at (908) 527-4695 or Elizabeth Police Sergeant David Haverty at (908) 335-6378.