Matthew S. Sabatino, left.
The 21-year-old Haverhill man charged in the murder of Matthew S. Sabatino in downtown Haverhill was formally indicted by an Essex County Grand Jury Wednesday on a charge of first degree murder.
Hayden Delafuente, 21, was charged with murder in June following Sabatino’s death a few days earlier. He had been arrested on assault-related charges and ordered to remain in jail without bail. His case now moves from Haverhill District Court to Salem Superior Court, according to Carrie Kimball-Monahan, spokesperson for Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett.
Folded into the indictment were charges of armed assault and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon against a second, unidentified stabbing victim—a 30-year-old Lawrence man. The incident took place Memorial Day weekend in downtown Haverhill. Sabatino, who was 28, was reportedly trying to break up a fight when he was stabbed in the chest. He suffered heart and lung injuries at about 1:30 a.m., Sunday, May 28, in front of 77 Washington St. He was in a Boston hospital since the stabbing. Sabatino was engaged and a father of two.
The Salem, N.H., man was transported to Lawrence General with non-life-threatening injuries as a result of the fight.
No arraignment date has yet been set for Delafuente, Kimball-Monahan said.
This was a terrible tragedy and was by no means the fault of the young man who died. But this is why when I had young children I avoided downtown bars after 10 p.m. nothing good happens downtown after 10 p.m. God Rest his soul I hope this doesn’t ever happen again.
They key word in your statement was BUT. Just say what you mean and mean what you say. You want to place partial blame on him for being out after 10pm which is asinine.