STEVE TOCCO

Friday, August 17, 2007

Mount Clemens man dies after golf club attack; sheriff to seek murder charges

George Hunter / The Detroit News

MOUNT CLEMENS -- What started as an argument between neighbors over a barking dog led to an assault with a golf club that left a 44-year-old man dead, police say.

Steve Tocco of Mount Clemens died Thursday in Mount Clemens Regional Hospital after his neighbor, 22-year-old Alberto Barajas-Enriquez, hit him in the head with a No. 2 driver, Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel said.

"We got a 911 call at about 6:50 p.m. Tuesday from the victim, who said he'd been assaulted by his neighbor," Hackel said. "Apparently, they had been arguing for some time about the suspect's dog, that he was barking and (the owner) wasn't picking up after it."

On Tuesday, the longstanding argument between the two residents of the apartment complex on Comet Street turned violent, Hackel said.

"For some reason, Enriquez left his apartment, went outside and grabbed a No. 2 driver," Hackel said. "Then he entered his neighbor's apartment without permission and started swinging the club at him. He hit him several times -- once in the head."

Tocco was transported to the hospital, and Barajas-Enriquez was arrested and charged Wednesday with assault with intent to do great bodily harm and home invasion. Bond was set at $20,000, "but there was also an immigration hold on him, so he was kept in the jail," Hackel said. He added he was not sure whether Barajas-Enriquez was an illegal immigrant.

"Then we got a call (Thursday) that the victim passed away," Hackel said. "An autopsy showed he died of blunt-force trauma to the head."

Hackel said he will seek second-degree murder charges against Barajas-Enriquez.

You can reach George Hunter at (586) 468-7396 or ghunter@detnews.com.

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