Allegedly unprovoked assault of 71-year-old New Haven man leads to multiple charges

Jorge DelaPaz Jorge DelaPaz Photo: Journal Register Co. Photo: Journal Register Co. Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Allegedly unprovoked assault of 71-year-old New Haven man leads to multiple charges 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

NEW HAVEN >> Police arrested a 35-year-old New Haven man on gun and other charges after an allegedly unprovoked attack on a 71-year-old man.

Jorge DelaPaz was arrested on charges of assault in the third degree of an elderly person, carrying a dangerous weapon, carrying a pistol without a permit, criminal possession of a pistol and interfering with police.

The elder New Haven man was eating a hamburger in the Goffe Street Park following a Toni Harp mayoral campaign-sponsored event Sunday afternoon when he was approached by DelaPaz, who is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 250 pounds, according to a police report.

Police say DelaPaz told the elder white male that he shouldn’t be “in his park where young black kids are playing.” When the older man refused an order from DelaPaz to pick up a football, DelaPaz punched the man multiple times in the face, knocking him to the ground, police said.

DelaPaz told police he was in the park throwing a football around with some children when he saw the man eating a hamburger and watching children play, according to a police report. He claimed that the 71-year-old man acted belligerently and began to hit him after he confronted him about watching children in the park, according to the report. DelaPaz said he hit back in self-defense, according to the police report.

Police spoke with a witness, who said that he saw two men outside looking like they were ready to fight, according to the report.

The witness said he or she attempted to intervene but could not stop the fight. DelaPaz then allegedly said he was going to get a gun. Another witness reported seeing DelaPaz hit the 71-year-old man.

DelaPaz fled the scene on foot when police arrived around 3:40 p.m. He allegedly resisted arrest and hurt an officer’s leg in the process, police said, Officer Robert Hayden pulled out his Taser and yelled “Taser” several times before DelaPaz stopped resisting.

DelaPaz gave several false names to police, including “Jesus De Cristo,” police said. Police at the department’s detention center determined DelaPaz had given a false name and that he was a convicted felon who does not have a valid pistol permit.

Police found a Sig Sauer P239 handgun, a magazine clip containing five hollow point 9mm rounds, two 9mm ball rounds, a set of brass knuckles and two voter registration cards that were filled out and signed within DelaPaz’s backpack, according to police. DelaPaz also has a pending case stemming from a July 16 arrest. He was charged with possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, as well as several drug charges.

Correction: Sig Sauer was misspelled in a previous version of the story.