Editors Note: As of October 2007, prosecutors declined to bring charges against Eugenio Lacayo in connection with this case. Lacayo’s record has since been expunged. As of March 2008, the District Attorney refused the charges against Gustavo Antonetti, and his record was also expunged.

Gustavo Antonetti, international business freshman, and Joaquin Rosales-Aramburu, criminal justice junior, pleaded not guilty on charges of aggravated battery last week.

Antonetti and Rosales-Aramburu, along with Tulane student Eugenio Lacayo were arrested on multiple counts of aggravated battery in late September.

Rosales-Aramburu, 22, was arrested Sept. 27 at approximately 9:30 a.m. on the 2800 block of Perdido Street. Antonetti, 20, was arrested the following day at approximately 10:40 a.m. on the same block.

The two students will be tried March 1, 2005.

In a separate case, communications sophomore Lacayo pleaded not guilty Nov. 25 to one count of aggravated battery stemming from the same incident. His case will resume Jan. 25, 2005.

Arrest warrants were issued Sept. 24 after New Orleans police positively identified the three individuals as suspects in a Sept. 22 stabbing that left a Loyola student unconscious.

According to police, finance senior Michael Lloyd was walking home from a party at about 3:30 a.m. on the 6400 block of Freret Street when he was confronted by several men. The suspects began striking Lloyd in the face several times, causing him to pass out, according to the police reports.

Moments later Lloyd, from Lafayette, La. regained consciousness and was still being attacked as he was lying on the ground just outside of Tulane’s Howard-Tilton Memorial Library. Lloyd was stabbed in the ribcage under his arm. He also suffered an orbital fracture above his eye.

Lloyd was able to walk to University Police Headquarters, from which he was taken by ambulance to Charity Hospital, police said. He was admitted with a stab wound to the back and facial injuries and was released the following day, police said.

According to Sgt. Paul Accardo, police had not established a motive for the attack, but are investigating a report that the suspects had an

argument with the victim earlier that night when they were thrown out of a party at a private residence near the campus.

Police say the suspects were told to leave a party on Calhoun Street approximately three hours before the incident because they were acting violent and trying to fight other students.

The Maroon was not able to contact Lloyd, Antonetti and Rosales-Aramburu as of Wednesday night.

According to police reports, Lloyd positively identified the wanted subjects from single photo line-ups. Lloyd knew the students from Loyola.

A follow-up investigation conducted by Second District Detective Wade Bowser positively identified the three wanted suspects as the persons responsible. The case is ongoing to determine the identity of any others who may have been involved. Police say there is no information to indicate that it was gang-related; however, more arrest warrants could be issued.

Investigators say Antonetti and Rosales-Aramduru are also wanted for a separate, similar offense that occurred in early September. The two students allegedly attacked four University of New Orleans students near a bar on the 5100 block of Freret Street.

Four UNO students were attacked by several Hispanic men while standing in front of the bar.

All of those victims suffered puncture wounds, according to a police report. None of their injuries appeared to be life-threatening. The suspects fled the location and the victims were taken to Kenner Hospital for treatment. That investigation is also ongoing and police are attempting to identify other suspects.

Antonetti and Rosales-Aramduru have been identified by victims as two of the suspects in that incident, though it is believed there were other attackers. Each is charged with five counts of aggravated battery stemming from the two incidents.

The incident that occurred Sept. 22 that left one student unconscious occurred just outside of campus and therefore it fell into the jurisdiction of NOPD. According to Captain Roger Pinac, the University Police immediately alerted local authorities.

“We [UP] contacted them and sought medical treatment for him,” Pinac told The Maroon.

Michael Nissman can be reached at [email protected].