By Jim Clark

Somerville Police officers were dispatched to Trader Joe’s on Middlesex Avenue last Sunday on reports of a fight with possible injuries.

Upon arrival, the officers observed a heavyset male, later identified as Frederick Marmolejos, standing over a man identified as the victim of the incident. Marmolejos reportedly had both hands grabbing the front of the victim’s shirt.

The officers immediately ordered Marmolejos off of the victim and escorted him to the front of the parked vehicles.

Marmolejos had no shoes on, just black socks that were partially off, was extremely agitated and screamed that the victim had grabbed his wife.

Marmolejos was reportedly yelling that he could not relax because he was so mad and continued pacing and yelling for his wife.

At this point, the officers conducted a pat-frisk of Marmolejos for weapons, but none were found.

EMT personnel arrived and attended to the victim, who drifted in and out of consciousness and was unable to speak. He was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital.

Due to the victim’s injuries, Somerville Police detectives were called to the scene.

Mr. Marmolejos eventually calmed down enough to tell police what was going on. He stated that he and his wife went to the Nike store to buy some shoes. When they left, they could not remember exactly where they parked so they were searching around the parking lot for their vehicle.

Marmolejos reportedly told his wife that they parked near a shopping cart station and then pointed out a van that he thought was his. While they walked up to the vehicle, Marmolejos noticed a man, later designated as the victim, sitting inside the driver’s side seat of the vehicle. His first thought was that it wasn’t his vehicle but as he got closer, he saw the Dominican flag hanging from the rear-view mirror and noticed that it was his vehicle.

Marmolejos used the automatic unlock fob to see if the vehicle was his. The man inside exited the vehicle and said he only took a dollar. Marmolejos told his wife to call the police. The victim then reportedly attempted to take Marmolejos’ wife’s phone, grabbed her, and shoved her.

Marmolejos then reportedly grabbed the victim by the pants, threw him to the ground and began punching him. When asked where his shoes were, he said that he didn’t know because he kicked them off when he went to grab the victim, after he pushed his wife, because he was tripping, as he was wearing open-toed sandals.

Marmolejos added, “I grabbed him right away because I didn’t want to try to run after him, because I’m a big boy, I can’t run after him.” He said he does not really know what happened after that because he was extremely angry that the victim put his hands on his wife.

Mrs. Marmolejos substantially corroborated her husband’s story. It was she who called 911 to report the incident. Through an interpreter at the scene, she told police dispatch that it looked like Marmolejos was trying to kill the victim. She also said that the victim stated that he could not breathe.

Police dispatch received multiple other calls with the callers stating similar things. One caller stated that he needed an ambulance and appeared to have a head injury.

The officers spoke with a witness who said she observed Marmolejos stomp on the victim’s head and chest non-stop. She also said that at one point, Marmolejos was choking the victim, with one hand against the car, and the other around the victim’s neck, stating that the victim could not breathe.

Another witness told police that Marmolejos was trying to kill the victim. He stated that he choked him until he couldn’t breathe. When asked how he choked him, the witness said with two hands, then with one hand. He also stated that Marmolejos grabbed the victim’s head and slammed it on the ground multiple times.

Marmolejos was subsequently placed under arrest on charges of aggravated assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and strangulation or suffocation.

A criminal complaint against the victim will also be filed on charges of felony daytime breaking and entering of a motor vehicle, assault and battery, and witness intimidation.