Man Accused Of Taking Swing At Rondo: "I'm Innocent"
LOWELL (CBS) - The man accused of trying to punch Celtics guard Rajon Rondo this weekend outside a Lowell nightclub appeared in court on disorderly conduct charges Monday.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker reports.
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Thirty-one-year-old Eric Valarezo of Haverhill is accused of taking a swing at the All-Star point guard outside Brian's Ivy Hall before 2 a.m. on Saturday.
"I'm innocent of all charges," Valarezo told WBZ-TV outside of court.
WBZ-TV's Sera Congi reports.
Valarezo told the Boston Globe Rondo pushed him first, and he pushed back and took a swing in retaliation, but missed.
"Within seconds, Rajon's entourage put him to the floor, and we had four extra police details that night. They were on top of him, cuffed him and escorted him out," said Kevin Hayhurst, the owner and manager of the club.
No one was injured in the incident. Rondo later appeared at a charity basketball game Saturday night at Harvard University.
In court, the prosecutor asked for more time to interview witnesses and possibly file additional charges against Valarezo.
Valarezo is due back for a pretrial conference on Jan. 11.
