Monte Freire, from Nashua, New Hampshire, is a devout Red Sox fan; John Mayor, of New Haven, loves the Yankees.
On Saturday afternoon Freire and a group of his friends played in a baseball tournament in North Branford.
Then they went for dinner at the Chowder Pot III restaurant off Exit 56 at I‑95. Police believe they were watching a critical Red Sox-Yankees game, one the Yankees desperately needed to win to try to get to first place in their division. It was Saturday night and the bar was packed.
The night game was the second that day between the two great baseball rivals. The Yankees won the first game 6 – 5.The evening game started late — about 9:15 p.m. In the long rivalry between the two teams, both men knew, independent of knowing each other, that this was a crucial game.
It is not known how much liquor Mayor consumed while sitting at the bar. But police say that at about 10:42 p.m., nearly 90 minutes into the game, Mayor, 45, and Freire, 43, got into an argument. Nor is it known what triggered the fight, whether it was due to a play that evolved during the actual game they were watching on television or whether it had something to do with a comment Mayor did not like.
Whatever it was, the confrontation turned violent. Within seconds, police allege, Mayor pulled out a knife and stabbed Freire in the neck.
Police were at a loss Sunday to understand how a baseball rivalry could go so wrong. Lt. William Carroll, the head of the detective bureau, was not able to provide specifics at this juncture in the investigation. But he did say the argument that led to the violence was based on the fact that the two were “rival professional baseball team fans.”
After the stabbing, Mayor fled into the nearby parking lot, according to police. Freire’s friends followed, chasing him as he ran to the rear of the parking lot.
Sgt. David Galdenzi said the first officer to arrive noticed a number of men chasing Mayor. “Mayor turned, looked at the officer, removed the knife from his jacket and threw it into the woods,” Galdenzi said. “He then began to fight with friends of the victim before he was taken into custody with the help of Freire’s friends.”
Police later found the knife after a lengthy search of a heavily wooded area near the restaurant.
Meanwhile Branford Fire Department paramedics arrived at the restaurant. Police reported vast amounts of blood in the bar area. Several of Friere’s friends attempted to stop his bleeding, police said.
En route to Yale-New Haven hospital, Freire went into cardiac arrest. Paramedics revived him, police said. He underwent emergency surgery. He was listed in critical condition Sunday night.
Johnathan Smith, who identified himself as the owner of the Chowder Pot, issued the following statement to WTNH- TV Sunday morning:
“From what I understand there were seven gentlemen having dinner in the dining room and the victim went to the bar and ordered one beer and there was a heated discussion over the Yankees and Boston.
“There was no fight. The guy got up and stabbed the victim twice in the neck and then ran out of the building. One of the managers chased the man to the back of the building and tackled him with help from three others.
“After 30 years in business, we’ve never had anything like this happen before, and our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and his family and we are hoping for a speedy recovery.”
Meanwhile, early Sunday Mayor was booked at the Branford police station. He was charged with first degree assault, interfering with a police officer, tampering with evidence, breach of peace and possession of a controlled substance. Police did not identify the controlled substance.
Mayor was held on $500,000 bail and spent the night in jail, Capt. Geoffrey Morgan said. Police also said Mayor has hired an attorney and has refused to talk to them. On Sunday morning, after complaining to police about injuries he suffered during his capture by Freire’s friends, he was taken to the hospital.
The Red Sox won the night game 7 – 6. The game took ten innings and ended at 1:15 a.m. Freire was in surgery at that time, fighting for his life.
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It figures.
A Sox fan would never behave this way, typical of the New York fans.
Get well soon fallen Boston comrade.