All-Star pitcher accused of breaking man's back outside strip club
A newly filed lawsuit alleges MLB All-Star pitcher Carlos Martinez was involved in an attack outside a strip club that left a man with a broken back, the Belleville News-Democrat in Illinois reported Friday.
The St. Louis Cardinals hurler is being sued by Andrew D’Angelo, who claims he was jumped outside a St. Louis-area strip club in July 2014 by a group of men that included Martinez as well as Cardinals outfielder Oscar Tavares.
Tavares, one of the top prospects in the St. Louis farm system, died in an October 2014 car accident in his native Dominican Republic, ending his career after just 80 MLB games.
According to D’Angelo, he had a verbal altercation with a group of men while he was having a drink at St. Louis bar on July 4, 2014.
The lawsuit states that he left that bar and went to the Penthouse Club, a strip club near East St. Louis now called Diamond Cabaret.
Martinez and the group eventually showed up at the same strip club, according to the suit. D’Angelo walked out of the club and over to a food stand, and then was ambushed.
The lawsuit alleges the group of men knocked D’Angelo to the ground and starting beating him, leaving him with “a broken back and nearly $100,000 in medical bills, with further surgical procedures being needed.”
The suit specifically states that Martinez was responsible for punching D’Angelo in the head and face during the altercation.
Martinez’s attorney denied the allegations.
“The statements regarding the conduct of Carlos Martinez are both inaccurate and false,” Fetterolf told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Neither Carlos or I have received a copy of the lawsuit referenced in the article. When we do, we will respond accordingly.”
Attorney Thomas Lech is representing D’Angelo, along with fellow attorney John Eccher.
Echher said his client attempted to settle the matter outside of the legal system.
“While we would have preferred to avoid litigation,” Eccher told the News-Democrat, “the lack of acceptance of responsibility by culpable parties has required Tom Lech and myself to seek judicial intervention on behalf of Andy to obtain justice.”
D’Angelo and his team are also accusing the strip club of negligence and liability. According to the lawsuit, the strip club did not call the authorities immediately after the attack, waiting instead until a good portion of time had passed before notifying the police.
The report doesn’t indicate whether any criminal investigation took place or charges were filed as a result of the alleged attack.
Martinez has emerged as the Cardinals’ ace, making All-Star appearances in 2015 and 2017.
The 26-year-old pitcher is coming off a season in which he went 12-11 with a 3.64 ERA and 217 strikeouts.
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