22-year-old held in man's death - Police say he ran down victim in Mesa bar's parking lot after fight

by Allison Oswalt - Mar. 18, 2011 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

A 22-year-old man accused of running down and killing a Mesa man near Southern Avenue and Dobson Road was arrested Wednesday on charges of second-degree murder, police said.

The victim, who has been identified as 29-year-old Antoine Beaty of Mesa, was pronounced dead at a hospital on Wednesday.

Mesa police arrested Derrick M. Antone, who admitted that he had not planned on running the victim over but only "hit him to see him fly out of the way."

The Wednesday incident at Uncle Monkey's bar in Mesa began around 2:45 a.m. as Antone was leaving the bar with several friends, police said.

Beaty asked Antone for a ride home from the bar, and Antone agreed because one of Antone's female friends wanted to "hook up" with Beaty, police said.

Beaty began arguing with one of the women and started assaulting her and another woman in the vehicle, police said.

After Antone and Beaty got out of the van and started to fight in the parking lot, the two women pulled out lug wrenches and began hitting the victim, police said.

Beaty responded by throwing rocks at the two women and then ran away, police said.

Police said Antone and the two women got back into the van with the intent to hit Beaty.

Antone told police that he did not want to hurt Beaty seriously but that he estimated he had accelerated to 35 mph while chasing him.

Police said that Antone said he ran over a curb and lost control of the vehicle, hitting a pole.

He told police he was unaware he had hit Beaty, police said.

Beaty was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police said that video surveillance shows the van driving in deliberate circles after hitting the curb and does not appear to be "out of control."

Antone was booked on charges of second-degree murder, failure to stop at an accident involving a death and extreme DUI.

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