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Background: News footage of the Millville, N.J. residence where the alleged altercation took place (WPVI). Inset (left): Eric Hannah (Cumberland County Jail). Inset (right): Louis “Gus” Serbeck (Rone Funeral Service).
A New Jersey man was protecting his teenage daughter when he was allegedly beaten to death by another father and his son — all of whom used to be family friends.
In a press release from the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, criminal charges were announced against 55-year-old Eric Hannah and his 17-year-old son, who was identified by his initials, J.H. Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae stated that the father-son duo were being charged with homicide in connection to the beating death of Louis “Gus” Serbeck, 54, following a physical altercation that took place on Sunday.
Prosecutors said that Serbeck and his teenage daughter went to Hannah’s residence to confront Hannah and J.H. about an alleged assault against Serbeck’s daughter. By the end of the day, Serbeck was dead.
The press release stated that Serbeck’s daughter was allegedly assaulted by J.H. on Saturday, which prompted Serbeck to travel with his daughter to Hannah’s home on Easter Sunday. The altercation soon turned physical, prosecutors said, when Serbeck was met at the front door by J.H.
According to prosecutors, J.H. sustained facial injuries before allegedly attacking Serbeck by hitting him “several times” in the head with a metal baseball bat. Hannah then allegedly joined the fight and struck Serbeck with a flashlight on the back of the head. Serbeck’s daughter was also allegedly hit in the head by J.H.
First responders arrived at the scene to transport Serbeck to a nearby hospital, but he died in the ambulance on his way there.
Father and son were both arrested and taken into custody on the same day. Hannah was charged with homicide, aggravated assault, conspiracy, and weapons charges and remains in custody at Cumberland County Jail without bond. J.H. was charged with homicide and weapons charges and was being held in a juvenile detention facility, according to WPVI, a local ABC affiliate based in Philadelphia. It was not yet known if he would be tried as an adult.
J.H. was also charged with aggravated assault in connection with the previous report made by Serbeck’s daughter.
WPVI spoke to Serbeck’s young brother, Christopher Serbeck, who said that both families were once close friends. He told the station that Hannah was a “lifelong friend of the family. He went to school with my oldest brother. Known him our whole life. No expectations of something like this happening at all.”
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