Suspect In Brutal Bar Beating Blames Victim

Photograph of suspect Mbarek Lafrem by David Karp/AP

The construction worker who was arrested for the vicious beating of a woman in a Midtown bar's bathroom told the police he was acting in self-defense. According to court papers, Mbarek Lafrem said, "She was trying to push me so I punched her in the face twice and pushed her back in the stall."

Police say that Lafrem, 30, of Norwood, Pa., had tried to dance a 29-year-old woman at the bar Social on West 48th Street. She had refused, and he apparently followed her into the bathroom. In court papers, Lafrem explained to the police, "I was at the bar with the girl. I went into the bathroom and she started yelling at me. She was coming towards me so I grabbed her by the arms. She was trying to push me so I punched her in the face twice and pushed her back in the stall. She fell into the stall and hit her head."

The woman's friend later found her unconscious in the stall; the victim needed 50 stitches for a laceration and also suffered a fractured skull, a broken nose and a broken eye socket. The Post reports she was also found with "one pant leg completely off and the other around her ankle, the court papers said." Lafrem was charged with attempted murder, assault and attempted rape. He's also being held without bail.

Police were led to Lafrem by a tip. The NY Times notes that the NYPD, which had released relatively clear surveillance video of the beating suspect, was surprised that they only received two tips: "The reason became clear, however, later Friday morning when a worker from a Midtown construction site called the police tip line and identified the man in the video... It turned out that the suspect was a laborer from Pennsylvania working on a construction job at 16 West 34th Street, near Herald Square, and staying at the Best Western Hotel a block from Social." NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said, "He was not residing permanently in the city. With a typical suspect, residing in one of the five boroughs, we would have expected more calls."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on March 14, 2010 10:50 AM

Comments [rss]

Cannibal

I want to jostle his hot coffee. Give him a good 'scolding'. What a piece of shit.

Clarice City

Don't get in the way if a man wants to pee sitting down, ladies.

ak

He could join Monserrate in his campaign for Senate. He might be one of the only people who would successfully make Hiram look charming.

Gotham Extremist

To all women, when an Arab gentalman asks you to dance, you go dance with him!

cutlass

Fine line between racism and observation, isn't there.

Hello

She should of danced with him....lol....This guy is scum.......

snickerdoodle

Peaceful Muslims bringing their third-world barbaric misogyny and "honor beatings/killings" to the U.S., isn't diversity grand? We're so much better for it.

texinyc

And your bigotry against one group of people (Muslims) is different any other misogynist's bigotry how? Because theirs is based on genitalia and yours is based on religion?

NannyState

Twenty years of pillow munching in the sex offender unit should help heal this poor "victim"'s bruised ego.

Hello

He will probably get a 5-10 year sentence, with a realty of doing 2 years more like it......

Gotham Extremist

Did I call that shit or what? Told you he's either Arab or Hispanic.

SP

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

bitchincamaro

Yep. You've proved you know shit.

nicemarmot

I feel like a good punishment for guys like this would be to tie them up in public, and let their victim beat the shit out of them. Preferably in front of all their male friends, coworkers, and relatives.

PamelaGeller

It was his honor! She besmirched his honor. Amazing he didn't kill her in an honor killing just an honor beating.

texinyc

Wow. Just . . . wow.

I think that he followed her in there might give the prosecution a bit more to work with in terms of a premeditated attempt to harm the victim. Hopefully that can lead to a longer sentence.

tgg001

Of all the people involved...I feel bad for his lawyer after a statement like that.

...."I was at the bar with the girl. I went into the bathroom and she started yelling at me. She was coming towards me so I grabbed her by the arms. She was trying to push me so I punched her in the face twice and pushed her back in the stall. She fell into the stall and hit her head."

Perp

How'd I do?

Lawyer

Never speak again! EVER!

babyhitler

Tobias from arrested development says "Douchechiiiilll!"

robingee

He beat the shit out of her in the Ladies Room and then left the bar, went a few doors down to a bodega and stole a beer. This shows that (a) He has no remorse for hurting someone and (b) He has the biggest Sense of Entitlement ever. I want a woman. If she doesn't want me I beat her. If I want a beer, I take it. I don't pay.

Gnomie

So she stormed out of a bathroom stall with her pants down to push him? And then he punched her repeatedly because she was just so big and scary? Right, cause that makes sense

Guest

hey mbarek, thanks for clarifying that you really are an animal. there's this thing called evolution. my friendly advice is to cling to it and not let it pass by you.

ps get some lube. make that lots. lots of lube.

GREGORYABUTLER

Actually, lube is considered contraband out on Rikers Island - they don't even let them have Vaseline!

Which means our friend Mbarek is going to have a lot of hard nights out there!

seven

I haven't even read the article yet, only the headline. And why am I not surprised.

Sommelier

Brilliant defense, but what were you doing following her into the ladies room? What do you bet his lawyer will claim that because he's a muslim he can't get a fair trial in NYC?

Please, pick me for the jury... I'd tack on an extra ten years for wearing a Yankees jacket while being a scumbag.

xmonkeydr

Claiming self-defense (or talking in general) is actually a pretty stupid move on his part. The first reason is that it involves an admission that he beat her, so now there's no need to prove that. The second reason is that self-defense ends when you stop the other person's supposed assault. He has essentially confessed and will now have to somehow prove that the level of violence he used was necessary - not likely and hopefully this will figure into his sentencing.

whitecastlerock

It's not a Yankees jacket. It's a knock off of a Yankee jacket. I would like to knock this fucking scumbag's head off

jaycjay

Yep. Notice that the word "Yankees" doesn't appear anywhere on it. It's just a "New York" jacket.

Boogie Down

So glad to hear they nabbed this filthy sociopath. He should get extra time just for being such an unrepentant dirtbag.

Splicer

Don't these criminals watch Law and Order or reruns of NYPD Blue? Don't talk.

Stevennnn

The old trick of self defense. Yeah, sure you were scared of your life.

Scott3922

The attempted murder charge won't stick, it will downgraded to assault and he'll do less than 2 years. Unfortunately.

Phil

The woman got beaten up. But now the lawyer will turn it into a he said/she said. What a pusilanamous douchebag. I hope he gets his in lockup.

tijuanatornado

Isn't always the case with brutes who beat women? It is always the woman's case, for some reason.

Such a coward act to beat someone weaker than you.

He deserves what's coming his way.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

Well, he will be in jail since no bail for him, too much of a flight risk.

longacre

Sorry, that defense might work under Sharia law, but we don't have that here...not yet at least.

seven

Maybe he is Muslim, but where does it say he is? A lot of Arabs in Pennsylvania are Lebanese Christians who's ancestors immigrated there 100 years ago.

jaycjay

"A lot of Arabs in Pennsylvania are Lebanese Christians who's ancestors immigrated there 100 years ago."

He is a Moroccan citizen, born there.

xgeyiph772

Well, officer, his name is Francis Xavier McDonnell, but I can't be sure he's Irish Catholic since there are a few hundred Protestants in his town. Whatever. It's not a pleasant generalization, but sometimes the true ones aren't so nice.

bitchincamaro

Let him keep his shoelaces in the joint.

bitchincamaro

Does it make you feel better, knowing you're always right, but remianing a racist douchebag, nonetheless?

xgeyiph772

Amen. Getting real tired of Muslim dirtbags beating women, overcharging for cab rides, treating US citizens like we're some kind of filthy dogs who they have to put up with so they can make money to send home. Never mind living among us and blowing up landmark buildings. Enough.

GREGORYABUTLER

So you're cool with the Christian and Jewish dirtbags who beat women?

Rocknrope

Wow, that's a pleasant generalization.

glen glenn

I'm tired of dirtbags in general, regardless of their religious views.

Spirit of 76

Yeah, sure takes a real he-man to punch out a woman, even if she was pushing him. Wuss. Offhand, I'd say he belongs in the ladies room. Bet he didn't r*pe her only because he couldn't get it up.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

Filthy Rotten Yankee Fan

xgeyiph772

Yes, of course I hit her after I followed her into the LADIES' ROOM and she had the temerity to try and defend herself from a big, hulking drunk guy who doesn't understand the meaning of the word "no"!!

Pathetic. Send this dirtbag away for a few years and let him defend himself from the advances of a few prison inmates.