Toledo man found guilty for causing deadly bar fight
Family torn apart; Richter could be facing life in prison.
A family grieved separately after a jury found a North Toledo man guilty of starting a January bar fight, which led to the death of his uncle.
Standing in separate groups outside the Lucas County Common Pleas Court, family of Arthur Richter Jr. and Daniel Vasquez gathered. Some cried, some hugged, some did nothing.
“Nobody wins,” Vasquez’s son, Dan Vasquez Jr., said.
Following approximately three hours of deliberation, a jury returned guilty verdicts Wednesday against Richter, 41, for complicity to murder and inciting violence in connection to the death of Vasquez. During two days of testimony, they learned Richter instigated a bar fight with Carl Wimpey Jr., 37, at Brew Ha’s bar on Telegraph Road on Jan. 31, and Vasquez was injured while trying to stop the fight.
Vasquez, 59, died Feb. 4 of blunt force trauma complications, Dr. Maneesha Pandey, a Lucas County deputy coroner, testified Tuesday.
Wimpey is charged with throwing the fatal punch, and his case is pending. He is scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing Oct. 3.
Judge Gary Cook will sentence Richter on Oct. 25. He could face life in prison, with the eligibility of parole after 15 years.
The family of both Vasquez and Richter used to have cook outs and family get-togethers, but no longer. They must learn to live without both men.
“(Richter) deserved what he got, for sure. But, I practically raised him and he’s part of my family — my sister’s devastated. It’s just totally screwed up our whole family,” Vasquez’s wife, Darlene, said. “It’s separated our family. We were a tight family, but everyone has their own idea of what happened.” On Jan. 31, Krystal Witfoth — a woman Richter sent intimate text messages to — arrived at the bar with Wimpey and another man, she testified Tuesday. Richter became increasingly agitated after Witforth arrived, said Frank Spryszak, assistant county prosecutor.
After words were exchanged between Richter and Wimpey, it turned physical. Richter grabbed a pool stick on two occasions, but they were both taken from him by Witfoth.
Following the fight, Wimpey and his friend walked out of the bar, but Richter followed with two beer bottles in hand, throwing them at their vehicle. The men charged into the bar, striking Vasquez unconscious. The friends again left.
Richter followed the men out to the parking lot with another beer bottle, but the men and Witfoth pulled away, the video shows. Richter returned to argue with the bartender as his uncle lay unconscious near a pool table.
The surveillance video did not have sound.
Richter’s mother, Carol Aldrich, said many of the things that happened that evening were not brought out in court.
She claims her son was verbally threatened and he grabbed a pool stick in order to protect himself and his uncle. She also said her son threw a bottle at the truck so it could be identified. Additionally, when he went outside to see which way the truck was leaving, he returned to yell at the bartender to call 911, Aldrich said.
“They’re talking 20 years. That’s so wrong. All he was trying to do was protect his uncle and his uncle was trying to protect him,” Aldrich said through sobs. “This was the first night they had gotten together in two years, and they were just out having a good time.”
Wimpey’s friend, who was also involved in the fight, was never charged.
The family intends to appeal Richter’s case.