Merrimack Valley

Police: Trash-talk texting led to stabbing

By Jim Patten
jpatten@eagletribune.com
Published: January 6, 2009

METHUEN — Two men trash talking over a girl via text messages fought on Perley Street Sunday night and one of them was stabbed, police said.

The victim, 21, told Officer Scott Lever he had been texting back and forth with an 18-year-old Lawrence man over the man's ex-girlfriend. After a few messages passed, the victim sent a text message to the Lawrence man to "come over if you can find where I live."

A short time later the victim spotted a black Mercury outside his house with two men in it and went outside to see who it was.

The Lawrence man and the victim got into a fight and the victim told police he was winning the fight, when the second man got out of the car and began hitting and kicking him.

The victim told police the Lawrence man started the fight and hit him with brass knuckles.

He suffered a laceration to the right side of his head just behind his ear and bruises to his arms and back.

Lever contacted the Lawrence man and he and the second man, later identified as Patrick Moro, 19, of 45 Nelson St., Lawrence, went to the police station.

They admitted going to the victim's Perley Street home and Moro admitted jumping on top of the victim, but denied using a knife during the fight, police said.

Moro was arrested at the station and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault.

The Lawrence man will be issued a summons to appear in court on a charge of assault and battery, police said.

The incident was reported at 10:51 p.m. Sunday, police said.

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