Suspect In Brutal Bar Beating: "I Made A Mistake"

Photograph of suspect Mbarek Lafrem by David Karp/AP

The man under arrest for allegedly beating a woman in a Midtown bar bathroom, leaving her unconscious with a fractured skull, a broken nose and a broken eye socket, spoke in a jailhouse interview today and expressed remorse. Mbarek Lafrem said, "I wasn’t myself. I was somebody else. I’ve never acted like that before. I made a mistake. I have to pay for it. I’m in the hole."

Lafrem, a Pennsylvania resident who was working on a construction site in the city, was arrested after police released surveillance video of him leaving the West 48th Street bar Social. According to court papers, he told detectives that he acted in self-defense after following the victim into the ladies' bathroom, "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." But now he says, "I remember dancing with her. I remember being in the bathroom with her, and I remember her screaming... I wouldn’t want that to happen to my sisters." And regarding his victim, "I'd give her my life."

The Daily News reports that Lafrem was "drinking beers, shots of Jack Daniels, and a high-octane drink called a Lemon Drop" before going to Social. He also suggested that "somebody might have put something in my drink." And he also claims he didn't remember what happened when he woke up the next day—he saw "blood on his T-shirt and noticed that his knuckles were cut up"—but when he saw the news, "I knew it was me."

Lafrem, a Moroccan national (the News says he moved to the U.S. in 2004, after getting a visa through the lottery, is charged with attempted murder, assault, and attempted rape.

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

By Jen Chung in News on March 19, 2010 4:06 PM

Comments [rss]

frog 1

He wont last in prison..to much press and he almost killed a women not a good combo...fate will take care of the rest.My question is what would happen in Morocco if he did this?

robingee

Yep, all those other murderers and rapists in prison will be really mad that he hurt a woman.

GREGORYABUTLER

You mean before or after her family stabbed him to death?

ed_Extinct

"I'd give her my life."

Then just die. You're wasting the air we breath.

Ragingsemi

Yeah I remember the last time I had a lemon drop (barely). I woke up the next morning with baby seal blood all over my clothes, and a broomstick in my ass. I turned on the news and I knew it was me who went on a baby seal clubbing rage, and stole that bitch Sabrina's magic broom......I only drink fuzzy navels now.

dogbert

I thought Musselmen weren't supposed to drink alcohol.

GREGORYABUTLER

Muscle Men are allowed to drink.

Mussel Men - well, I'm not sure precisely who they even are (a new comic book superhero?) - but I bet they can drink too.

But I think you mean Musulmen, an archaic term for Muslims - and I mean Crusades archaic!

Technically, the Quran says no, they shouldn't drink - but do you obey every rule of your religion all the time?

not from here

What kind of lottery gives temporary citizen status to woman-hating freaks from other countries? America lost that lottery. And, Rory is correct, his eye socket should be broken for ordering a lemon drop...high octane my ass.

GREGORYABUTLER

Well, since America has a plentiful supply of home-grown woman-hating freaks, American immigration law doesn't have a specific misogyny test for immigrants.

Rory Dolan

High Octane Lemon Drops.....

anyone who would quote that, cops/reporters/high school freshman.....should be punched in their reproductive organs.

marcasm

Enjoy prison you scum. Hopefully someone will give you the beating you deserve before they are "in your hole".

Dead Himmler

I'm not defending his actions but I'm sure we all have done something we regretted when drunk. Let's keep a little perspective in this. This guy is a scumbag though.

robingee

Oh, Himmler. You're so edgy. You say the darndest things that blow people's minds.

Gotham Extremist

Meanwhile, his lawyer is like why don't you shut the fuck up already?!?

Spirit of 76

he also claims he didn't remember what happened when he woke up the next day—he saw "blood on his T-shirt and noticed that his knuckles were cut up"—but when he saw the news, "I knew it was me."

And yet, even when he "knew" it was him, he didn't turn himself in. Guilty as charged.

Amanda Harletsch

trash!

Getting intoxicated is not an excuse!

This guy's remorse is empty.

Schooled

It's nice to see that Gothamist comments are consistent whether the perpetrators are defiant or show remorse.

He deserves any justice and punishment that the courts dole out, but at least he's not continuing to blame it on her (She shouted at me - uh yeah, GET OUT OF THE BATHROOM!). Most of the people who get caught for heinous crimes like this try to dodge it or blame it on the other guy (because I wasn't driving).

Schooled

Does anyone read an entire comment anymore? Tools. Thank goodness I have one less time-suck in my life.

detective jarvis

i read the whole comment. thats how i formulated an answer to your insanity. what the hell r u talking about

detective jarvis

who the fuck cares if hes defiant or remorseful? whats the fucking difference? that doesnt change a thing for the woman he beat the shit out of. what an insignificant observation. im sure if it was your sister or girlfriend or wife you can tell her in her hospital bed "honey at least hes not defiant"

Guest

the mouth is a hard thing to trust. his actions speak loUDER.

Rocknrope

At least he's not continuing to blame it on her? The fact that he even tried to blame her in the first place makes him worse than the scum on my bootheel. I'll save my sympathies for someone who deserves them.

sj

Well we already knew he was a piece of shit but it takes "piece of shit" to a whole new level to claim self-defense when he was IN THE WOMENS' BATHROOM.

detective jarvis

i know. this is my favorite part of his fucked up story

JenChungsBaby

If he wasn't floating in the bowl then he shouldn't have been there.

JenChungsBaby

It was a mistake. My hat was too tight. There were sunspots in my eyes. My dog just died. Aliens were speaking to me. My car had a flat tire. My blood sugar was too high. My mom's in the hospital. My toilet was leaking. I remember but I don't. It couldn't have been me but it must have been me. I had conjunctivitis. Yeaaah, that's the ticket.

Neverhaditsogood

It wasn't my fault.

I ran out of gas.

I had a flat tire.

I didn't have enough money for cab fare.

My tux didn't come back from the cleaners.

An old friend came in from out of town.

There was an earthquake.

A terrible flood.

Locust.

It wasn't my fault, I swear to god.

JenChungsBaby

Thanks Jake.

brawny

Don't forget...Someone must have slipped something into my drink!

Gregoire

Slipped what, a FROTHING VIOLENCE PILL?!

Thespis

They have those now?

ProcedureTurn

Mbarek Lafrem ???

What kind of fkn namme is that?

Sounds demented.

detective jarvis

r u the stupidest person alive? if your name was dave smith and you went to another country it might sound pretty weird too. dont even bother commenting back. nobody wants to hear your bullshit

Papercutninja

it's a Moroccan name. Deal with it. There are plenty of ethnic names in this city.

Gregoire

Oops, so sorry I almost raped you. Won't happen again!

Guest

and now let's go watch a happy musical called 'the r*pe'! amazing, incredible cast and all smiles! let's sing along the way!!! :D

brawny

"...a high-octane drink called a Lemon Drop..."

Yeah, I had to quit them. They always send me into a caveman rapist rage. I can't even comprehend this guy.

longacre

a high-octane drink called a Lemon Drop
High octane? Maybe if you're a high school sophmore.

robingee

A mistake. Oops, I beat the hell out of an innocent person!

Gotham Extremist

Now that he has admited it........ just like Tiger Woods has, we can now all forget about it and let him go live his life.

At least that's how it works if you are rich.

LB

Leave tiger alone ! This is totally different, This guy took his personal problems out on a woman . Tiger was fucking other women on the side because his wife wasn't interested in sucking his dick anymore ! Big difference .

detective jarvis

uh does the tiger woods thing have anything to do with this story at all? did i miss something here?

Guest

'tiger woods' is the next 'chuck norris' albeit p*rnographic.

"tiger woods' wood not only scores hole-in-one, but 1,000-holes-in-one."

detective jarvis

oh great. im so excited because the chuck norris thing didnt suck enough for me

Papercutninja

Yeah, the dummy commenter brought it up in an attempt to be "relevant".

wobbleSmith

dude, you may have made a mistake or you may be nuts, but either way, you're toast.

enjoy the beatings and forced prison sex!

wobbleSmith

of course, because tiger woods having consenual sex with a bunch of hookers is equal to some wasted dude beating a woman to a pulp.

way to live up to your name.

sexisicilian

So go kill yourself already so you can't do this to another woman ever. Pussy.

Wza

Yep.

Rocknrope

"I'd give her my life."

We'll take your citizenship instead.

detective jarvis

does it say somewhere that hes not a citizen? im just asking cause i dont remember reading anything saying he wasnt an american citizen