A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded in New Jersey when a father was allegedly beaten to death while trying to protect his teenage daughter. Shockingly, the people charged with his death were once family friends.
According to the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, 55-year-old Eric Hannah and his 17-year-old son, identified only by his initials J.H., are facing homicide charges in connection with the death of 54-year-old Louis “Gus” Serbeck. The deadly altercation happened on Easter Sunday.
How the Tragic Event Happened
Prosecutors said that the day before, on Saturday, Serbeck’s teenage daughter had allegedly been assaulted by J.H. In response, Serbeck and his daughter went to confront Hannah and J.H. at their home the next day.
When they arrived at the house, Serbeck was met at the door by J.H., and a fight broke out. According to the prosecutor’s report, J.H. suffered some facial injuries before allegedly grabbing a metal baseball bat and hitting Serbeck several times in the head.
Eric Hannah, the boy’s father, then reportedly joined in, hitting Serbeck in the back of the head with a flashlight. Tragically, Serbeck’s daughter was also hit in the head during the attack by J.H.
First responders quickly arrived and rushed Serbeck to a hospital, but he died in the ambulance on the way there.
Charges Filed Against Father and Son
Police arrested both Eric Hannah and J.H. later that same day. Hannah faces multiple charges including homicide, aggravated assault, conspiracy, and weapons offenses. He is currently being held without bond at Cumberland County Jail.
Meanwhile, J.H. has been charged with homicide, weapons offenses, and aggravated assault relating to the earlier incident with Serbeck’s daughter. He is being held at a juvenile detention center, and it has not yet been decided if he will be tried as an adult.
Families Were Once Close
The tragedy is even harder to believe because the two families were once very close. Christopher Serbeck, Louis Serbeck’s younger brother, told local news station WPVI that Hannah was a lifelong family friend.
“He went to school with my oldest brother. We’ve known him our whole life,” Christopher said. “No expectations of something like this happening at all.”