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Manuel De Jesus Cruz Lira, 30, Alberto Ortega-Luna, 23, Rodrigo Ortega-Luna, 29, and Jose Luis Vital Sanchez, 27, were charged by the Racine County District Attorney's Office on Tuesday with second degree attempted intentional homicide -- party to a crime, and aggravated battery -- party to a crime.

 

 

 

Four Racine men are accused of attempted homicide after they beat one man and stabbed another man on Sunday in a gang-related altercation.

Manuel De Jesus Cruz Lira, 30, Alberto Ortega-Luna, 23, Rodrigo Ortega-Luna, 29, and Jose Luis Vital Sanchez, 27, were charged by the Racine County District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday with second degree attempted intentional homicide — party to a crime, and aggravated battery — party to a crime. If convicted, each of them could be fined up to 75 years in prison and fined up to $50,000.

All four man are being held on a $25,000 cash bond.

According to the criminal complaint, Cruz Lira, Alberto, Rodrigo, and Vital Sanchez were drinking at Cruz’s house at 915 Hagerer St. on Sunday when the two assault victims came walking towards them “looking for trouble” and made references to gangs saying that they were “fake” because they weren’t involved in a gang.

The four men assaulted the two men in the street on Hagerer and LaSalle streets, but Cruz told police one of the victims “came at him” and threw the first punch.”

One man suffered cuts to his right forearm, inside right forearm, left side of his stomach and left side of his back. The other man was stabbed with a knife “through and through” in his stomach, which required emergency surgery. He also had injuries to his face. Because of the extent of his injuries, he was taken to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee by a Flight for Life helicopter, the criminal complaint reads.

Officers found over 100 beer cans and multiple bottles of hard alcohol on the porch.

A preliminary hearing has been set for the men at 8:30 a.m. July 14 in front of Racine County Court Commissioner Alice Rudebusch.

 

Denise Lockwood has an extensive background in traditional and non-traditional media. She has written for Patch.com, the Milwaukee Business Journal, Milwaukee Magazine and the Kenosha News.