Cops Arrest Waiter in Killing of Malcolm X Grandson

He's the third bar employee accused in beating death
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Oct 10, 2014 12:58 PM CDT
Cops Arrest Waiter in Killing of Malcolm X Grandson
A member of an organization that defends the rights of naturalized and Afro-Mexicans marches with images of Malcolm Shabazz in Mexico City in this file photo.   (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

Police have made a third arrest in last year's beating death of Malcolm X's grandson following a dispute over a bar bill. Mexico City prosecutors said suspect Juan Dircio Guzman was detained in the sprawling city of Nezahualcoyotl, on the edge of the capital. He was expected to appear before a judge to face charges of homicide and robbery. Malcolm Shabazz, the 28-year-old grandson of the assassinated American political activist, was attacked in the early hours of May 9, 2013, while out drinking with a friend at the Palace bar on Mexico City's Garibaldi Plaza. Prosecutors said Shabazz was beaten and robbed by bar staff for refusing to pay a $1,200 tab. He died at a hospital hours later of blunt-force trauma to the head, face, and torso.

The Garibaldi neighborhood is famous for the mariachi musicians who stroll the plaza serenading revelers. It also has a rough reputation, and some dive bars in the area are known to grossly overcharge customers, targeting foreigners especially, and demand they pay for spending time with women employees. Two waiters were arrested soon after Shabazz's death. Prosecutors identified Dircio Guzman as the bar's head waiter and said he is also suspected of taking part in the assault. (More Malcolm X stories.)

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