SOMERVILLE, Mass. — The Spin Cycle Laundromat on Winter Hill remained closed Tuesday, after an altercation left one man dead and another jailed.
Monday night, police responded to a 911 call from a passerby and found Joseph Muzzi, 33, heading down a sidewalk at the corner of Main Street and Broadway, and bleeding profusely from a neck wound.
Muzzi, who is from Weymouth, died at Massachusetts General Hospital.
The trail of blood from Muzzi’s neck led back to the laundromat.
There, police found Darien Burns, 53.
Burns told police Muzzi came into the laundromat and followed him into a back closet where he tried to choke him. Burns said Muzzi demanded money and threatened to kill him if he didn’t get it.
Burns told police he feared for his life and ‘started to swing at Mr. Muzzi’s head.’
But at his arraignment Tuesday in Somerville District Court, prosecutors said video evidence didn’t support Burns’ claim of self-defense. They said the two men went to the closet together, where, over the span of five minutes, their conversation grew more heated.
At some point, prosecutors said, Burns attacked Muzzi, and during their struggle, the video shows Burns with something in his hand. Prosecutors said it was a knife. Police later recovered a knife from Burns’ right pocket. Their report indicates it had blood on it.
Jay Cahill manages Proof, a wine, beer and spirits store next door to the Spin Cycle.
“Darien’s a nice guy,” Cahill said. “He does come in once in a while. He’s very friendly when he walks in. I see him walking by the window with his daughter and his wife.”
Cahill said Burns’ father-in-law owns the laundromat and that he sometimes works there at night.
“I’ve never had a problem with him,” Cahill said. “Always friendly to me. So I was very shocked.”
Burns was held without bail and ordered not to get in touch with any witnesses. A ‘dangerousness’ hearing is scheduled for next Thursday.
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