A fifth man has been arrested following a wild fight at the Metro-North parking garage in Port Chester, accused of slashing a teenager’s face with a machete.
Kleyster Gonzalez, 20, was arraigned in Rye Town Court Thursday, Sept. 10, on charges of first-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
He is the only one so far charged with a felony by Metropolitan Transportation Authority police in the wake of Tuesday night's fight on the second floor of the garage.
At about 11:30 that night, two groups began fighting there with razors, knives and machetes, police said.
Police suspect the fight stemmed from an earlier altercation Tuesday about a block away from the garage. In that instance, someone's shirt was torn and later burned
in the garage. When that was posted on social mediate, the larger fight in the garage ensued about seven hours later.
Two people suffered cuts to the face and head and were taken to a hospital for treatment. The one who Gonzalez is accused of slashing was an 18-year-old. He and the other one who was injured were among the other four people arrested, all charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a misdemeanor.
Gonzalez was arrested Wednesday afternoon and a search warrant was executed at his Smith Street home. MTA police said items pertinent to the investigation were seized and were undergoing forensic testing but did not specify what items.
In court, Gonzalez said through a Spanish interpreter that he had been defending himself during the fight.
He faces up to 25 years in prison on the felony assault charge.
Rye Judge Max Di Fabio ordered him held at the Westchester County jail on $250,000 cash bail, $500,000 bond or $750,000 bond secured by $75,000 cash, the amounts requested by the Westchester District Attorney’s Office. Gonzalez is due back in court Sept. 18.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Man faces felony assault charges in machete melee at Port Chester garage
