He Confronted the Boy Who Allegedly Assaulted His Daughter. The Boy Then Beat Him to Death With a Bat, Prosecutors Say
A New Jersey man died on Easter Sunday after being beaten to death with a bat, according to local authorities.
Louis Serbeck, 54, died while being taken to the hospital after a fatal confrontation during which his teenage daughter was also assaulted, according to the Columbia County Prosecutor.
Police have now arrested 55-year-old Eric Hannah and an unnamed 17-year-old boy on charges of homicide and weapons offenses, according to a news release from the prosecutor's office.
The minor male, identified only as J.H. by prosecutors, is also facing an additional charge of aggravated assault.
The confrontation stemmed from an incident that occurred one day earlier, when the minor male allegedly assaulted Serbeck's daughter, who is not named by prosecutors.
In the wake of that incident, Serbeck and his daughter went to speak with Hannah on April 20, according to the release.
The male teen met Serbeck at the door, and the release states that at some point the exchange between the two turned physical.
"J.H. is alleged to have struck Serbeck in the head several times with a metal baseball bat," the release states. "It is further alleged that [Hannah], who was present and joined the fight, struck Serbeck in the back of the head with a metal flashlight."
The release notes that J.H. "suffered facial injuries," and that he also struck Serbeck's daughter in the head with a bat.
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Officers with the Vineland Police Department soon arrived on the scene along with emergency medical service workers.
After assessing Serbeck's injuries, EMS rushed him to the local hospital in Vineland, where he would receive a medical evacuation to Cooper Hospital in Camden, located approximately 40 miles north.
However, Serbeck died en route, according to the release.
A GoFundMe created in hopes of helping Serbeck's two surviving daughters pay for his funeral services has already exceeded its initial goal of $10,000.
The creator of that fundraiser describes Serbeck as the "bravest, caring, outgoing, warmhearted, funny, and most protective men to be known."
Read the original article on People
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