Minden man to be tried in park slashing

A Minden man has been bound over for trial in the slashing of a good Samaritan last month who intervened in a dispute between the man and some teens.

There is enough evidence to try John Emmanuel Lara, 24, on a charge of battery with a deadly weapon causing substantial bodily harm, Justice of the Peace Robey Willis determined following a Monday afternoon hearing.

The victim, a 30-year-old father, testified that he was at a West College Parkway park with his wife and son March 28 when he saw the teenage brother of a friend running.

The teen told the victim that he and his friend were being chased by three men who had challenged them to fight and surrounded them near the park's skate bowl.

"I said 'get in the car,' and I went over there to confront (Lara) about it," the victim said.

He said he spotted Lara and another man, but the third man was no longer around. The victim said when he spoke to Lara, Lara denied being involved in a dispute with the teens.

When the victim walked up and confronted the second suspect, whom the teen described as the "tall, chunky dude," the two got into a fist fight.

As the victim fought with the second man, the teen said, Lara rushed up behind the victim and cut a 6-inch gash on the back of his neck and an 18-inch slash from his shoulder blades to the small of his back.

The victim testified he did not know he'd been slashed, and after feeling Lara on his back, he found Lara was in front of him and he had to fight off both men.

Eventually the two men fled and the victim's wife drove him to a nearby apartment complex and called police, police records indicate.

Lara was arrested a week later after being identified through a photo lineup.

The second suspect in the fight has not been charged.

Lara remains in custody in lieu of $30,000 bail. The victim said after the hearing that he was fine with losing a fight to two men.

"But he came up from behind me with a knife and that's chicken(expletive)."