A South Boston man was arrested Wednesday afternoon for allegedly assaulting a 66-year-old neighbor over a parking spot, police said.
According to a police report, the victim told police he arrived home to find Juan Beltran-Rivera parked in a spot on East Eighth Street in South Boston that the victim paid to have shoveled-out earlier in the day.
The victim confronted Beltran-Rivera about the spot, according to the report, and the two began to argue.
Beltran-Rivera, 32, told police that he became intimidated by the victim during the argument and “things got out of hand,” the report said.
Police said Beltran-Rivera punched the victim, temporarily knocking him unconscious. Beltran-Rivera was arrested and charged with assault and battery on a person who has attained an age over 65, the report said.
Responding officers said in the report that the victim had serious cuts on his face, and his left eye was swollen shut. They also observed a pool of blood at the site of the alleged assault, which was 20 feet from the intersection of East Eighth and Mercer streets.
The victim was treated by Boston EMS and transported to Tufts Medical Center, police said, where he was treated for the contusions on his face and a possible broken jaw.
The report did not say whether the victim had marked the spot with a space-saver, and a Boston police spokeswoman said she did not know if one was placed there. City policies allow for space savers—a South Boston winter tradition—to be used to claim a shoveled parking spot for 48 hours after a snow emergency. Tuesday’s storm was not declared a snow emergency.
VIA Boston.com