A 41-year-old Haverhill man who was called a good Samaritan by eyewitnesses for sticking up to a panhandling bully by kicking and punching him at the White Street Richdale was released by a Haverhill District Court judge Tuesday following his April 5 arrest, WHAV can exclusively report.
Charged with two counts of assault and battery—using a shod foot and the pavement—5-foot-4 Jeremy Coito was represented in court by Attorney Maria Murber. During Tuesday’s hearing, Judge Mary McCabe ordered him released on his own recognizance pending a bench trial in mid-May.
Haverhill Police responded to a disturbance at 73 White St. Friday afternoon just after 4:30 p.m. to find a man on the sidewalk bleeding from his mouth, face and head, with witnesses identifying Coito as the aggressor. After reviewing store surveillance footage, police were able to confirm Coito’s identity, locating him in the area of Cedar Street and Fourth Avenue “covered in blood.”
According to police, the 23-minute altercation began when a man known to beg for money near the Richdale store was “bullying people for money and requesting two dollars.” An acquaintance of Coito’s gave the man the money and when he asked for two more dollars, the man allegedly punched the witness in the chest. Said to be “sick of him bullying people, Coito began to fight,” allegedly striking the panhandler seven times with a closed fist and kicking him four times.
As a result of the altercation, a hazardous materials crew was dispatched to the scene to clear the blood from the sidewalk.
Opting for a bench trial instead of a jury trial, Coito will have a judge review the facts of his case and decide his fate instead of a panel of his peers. Assistant District Attorney John DePaulo told WHAV Tuesday the trial takes place as long as the witness appears in person as scheduled.