Family Of Immigrant Beaten To Death By Teens Has Salt Poured Into Wounds As Its Discovered Nurse Stole Victim's Money While He Lay On His Deathbed

thieving nurse
2 of the 3 teens arrested

Nj.com: SUMMIT — Abelino Mazariego, beaten by teenagers in what authorities believe was an unprovoked attack, was knocked out cold when he was taken to the emergency room at Overlook Hospital July 17.

Now, authorities have charged a registered nurse at the Summit hospital with stealing more than $600 from the man, who later died.

Stephan Randolph, 39, of Flemington, was charged with third-degree theft Monday, and the Union County Prosecutor’s Office said he allegedly stole roughly $640 from Mazariego, who died at the hospital three days later. It’s believed that Mazariego was carrying the money after being paid by the Springfield Avenue restaurant where he worked as a dishwasher the night he was attacked in a downtown park.

His family noticed that his pay was missing from his wallet and alerted Summit police, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Joan Lebow, director of communications for Atlantic Health, the owner and operator of Overlook Hospital, said that hospital employees worked with police in the investigation. She said that Randolph, who had worked at the hospital for five years, was fired Monday.

“This is a sad and horrible addition to an already unthinkably tragic incident,” Lebow wrote in a statement released Monday afternoon, adding, “Our hearts go out to the victim’s family that has already suffered so much.”

About 9:30 p.m. on July 17, police found Mazariego, 47, unconscious, sitting on a bench along Springfield Avenue, alone and bleeding from the mouth. Initially police treated it as a medical call, until the Salvadoran immigrant’s wife told them about a video circulating among teenagers in the city, according to the prosecutor’s office.

The video, believed to have been recorded on a cell phone, shows a pair of teenagers accosting Mazariego as he sat in the Summit Promenade pocket park on the warm Saturday evening. One of the boys grabbed Mazariego’s shirt and held it in front of his face before another punched him in the face.

The Union County Prosecutor’s Office became involved in the case on July 19, and Mazariego died the next day, never having regained consciousness.

So far, three teenagers have been charged with manslaughter in the attack: Khayri Williams-Clark, 18, of Summit, whom authorities said was released on $100,000 bail Monday; Nigel Dumas, 19, of Morristown; and a 17-year-old Summit resident. Their case has been referred to the grand jury.

On Monday morning, Mazariego’s family was joined by nearly 200 people for his funeral, held at St. Teresa of Avila church in Summit.