Celestine Bigirimana & Mohamed Abdullahi charged in Worcester Lifeguard stabbing at Bell Pond. Party told to stop drinking & smoking by lifeguard sets on newly hired teen.
A 17-year-old lifeguard was stabbed and viciously beaten at a Massachusetts beach — after telling a rowdy group of parkgoers to stop smoking pot and boozing it up over the 4th of July holiday weekend.
The victim was on duty at Bell Pond in Worcester around 6:30 p.m. Sunday when he told the men that drinking alcohol and smoking were not allowed at the park and that they would have to leave if they didn’t stop, Fox News reported.
Local reports identified the inflicting group comprising of a number of individuals, including Celestine Bigirimana, 22, of of Worcester, who had a series of prior arrests (see more below) along with 19-year-old man, Mohamed Abdullahi also of Worcester, as well as an unnamed 17-year-old.
Worcester police said several people in the group left the park, with one man becoming ‘verbally aggressive’ with the teen victim.
The man then returned with a smaller group and, armed with a knife and a ‘large stick’, proceeded to chase the un-named lifeguard and pummel him. The lifeguard was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries according to FoxNews.
Two primary suspects detained for dangerous hearing
Three suspects were later arrested, including Bigirimana, who was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, trespassing and resisting arrest after a foot chase.
Also arrested was Abdullahi, 19 and an unnamed 17-year-old, who were both booked with assault and battery and disturbing-the-peace charges.
A fourth person, Melquan Jefferson, 23, was arrested at the scene but later released without being charged.
Both Bigirimana and Abdullahi were detained for a dangerousness hearing Thursday.
‘Make money, not friends…’
In March 2019, Bigirimana who also goes by the name of Savageboy Jonne on Facebook was placed on probation for three years after pleading guilty in Worcester Superior Court to armed assault with intent to rob the Worcester Telegraph reports. As conditions of probation, he was ordered to stay away from and have no contact with the victim and to remain employed or in school.
A regard of Bigirimana’s Facebook page extols the ethos of ‘making money, not friends.’
Robert Antonelli Jr., the assistant commissioner of the Worcester Parks & Recreation Department, told reporters that the lifeguard, who was not identified, had only recently started the job after undergoing training.
‘We’re not happy,’ Antonelli said. ‘As a city, as a community, what happened here was uncalled for. It’s a simple request. It’s a simple item, and they took it too far.’
‘We’re not going to stand for it,’ he added.
Bell Pond Beach was closed Monday and remained closed Tuesday.
