Man Arrested A Year After Fatal Bar Fight In Union County

ELIZABETH, NJ — A man was arrested and charged last week in connection with a fatal assault that occurred last year at a bar in Elizabeth.

Regis Pelegrino Motas, 26, of Elizabeth was arrested Friday and charged with one count of first-degree aggravated manslaughter in connection with the 2023 death of Jose Lopez, the Union County Prosecutor's Office announced Tuesday.

According to prosecutors, police responded to the El Monseñor Lounge in Elizabeth on July 9, 2023, where they found Lopez suffering from a head injury. Investigators later learned Lopez was assaulted by Motas, who was a security guard at the lounge.

Lopez was taken to University Hospital for treatment and later transferred to a
rehabilitation facility, where he died from his injuries on March 25.

Lopez was taken to the Essex County Jail pending a detention hearing on Wednesday.

The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the case should contact Union County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Detective Kevin Stanicki at 908-527-4695 or Elizabeth Police Sgt. David Haverty at 908-335-6378.