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Trial date set in Cousin’s Joint brawl

by Gregory Crofton

Two brothers charged with assault with a deadly weapon for their participation in a barroom brawl in June at My Cousin’s Joint are expected to appear in court Aug. 31 to determine whether their case will be settled or go to trial.

Javier Camacho Hernandez, a 34-year-old South Lake Tahoe resident, is charged with assaulting with a knife Steven Brewster, 29, Steven Pagliaro, 29, and Anthony Dana, 28-year-old co-owner of My Cousin’s Joint.

Ricardo Camacho Hernandez, 26-year-old brother of Javier, is charged with assaulting Pagliaro and Dana with a crowbar.



Javier’s three felony counts are more serious than Ricardo’s because prosecutors are charging him with the intention of inflicting great bodily injury during his assaults.

Deputy District Attorney Michael Atwell said the type of assault that Javier is charged with carries a maximum of seven years in prison per count. Ricardo, charged with two felonies, could be sentenced to four years in prison for each count.



Each Hernandez brother pleaded not guilty to all counts and Sept. 5 has been set as their trial date.

In unrelated cases, Ricardo has two misdemeanor charges pending against him for possessing gun silencers, and Javier is charged with a misdemeanor DUI and being under the influence of a controlled substance.

All of the men injured in the fight have been treated and released from Barton Memorial Hospital except for Juan Sandoval, 35, who was discharged from Washoe Medical Center July 13 after being in the hospital for almost a month because of head injuries.

“Based on witnesses’ statements, Sandoval was the first person to arm himself with a weapon,” South Lake Tahoe Police Detective Martin Hewlett said. “The altercation occurred after he armed himself.”

Police testified that the fight allegedly broke out near the entrance of the bar after Ricardo Hernandez allegedly pulled a crowbar from his waistband and began to swing at people. Dana allegedly grabbed the weapon and was cut while holding it.

After being cut, Dana went behind the bar to make sure the alarm had been activated but the fight continued outside the establishment.


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