26-Year-Old Elizabeth Man Was Taken Custody On Friday In Connection With July 2023 Fatal Assault.

Wednesday, July 17, 2024, 7:30 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

ELIZABETH, NJ.- Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel reported that on Friday, a 26-year-old Elizabeth, New Jersey man, was taken into custody and charged in connection with the July 2023 beating death of a man.

     Regis Pelegrino Motas, 26, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, is charged with one count of first-degree Aggravated Manslaughter for the beating death of Jose Lopez.

     The charge stems from an investigation that unfolded on July 9, 2023, when members of the Elizabeth Police Department responded to a 911 Emergency Call reporting an injured man outside the El Monsignor Louge located on Elizabeth Avenue in the City of Elizabeth.

     Upon arrival, Police Officers found Jose Lopez suffering from a serious head injury. Mr. Lopez was immediately transported to University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey. He was later transferred to a rehabilitation facility, where Mr. Lopez succumbed to his injury and was pronounced deceased on March 25, 2024.

     A subsequent investigation by Detectives of the Union County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit and the Elizabeth Police Department determined that Mr. Lopez was physically assaulted by Motas, who was a security guard for the lounge, and that the assault ultimately led to the death of Mr. Lopez.

     Following the investigation, on Friday, July 12, 2024, Motas was apprehended without incident. After being processed on the charge, Motas was transported to the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark, New Jersey. The Union County Prosecutor’s Office filed a motion to have Motas detained pending trial, which will be heard today in Union County Superior Court in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”