Brawl at Cinco de Mayo party leaves 1 hospitalized

A Cinco de Mayo party at a Huntington restaurant degenerated into a series of brawls that ended with a stabbing that left a college student in the hospital and two people in jail.

Hundreds were gathered Wednesday night at Pancho Villa's, a popular New York Avenue restaurant that hosted an outdoor party under a tent, police said. After several altercations broke out through the night, an argument began about 12:30 a.m. among groups of people leaving the party, triggering a free-for-all brawl that at one point involved more than 100 people, police said.

During the fracas, Ryan DiPaola, 21, argued with several people and was stabbed once in the left side of the torso, police said. He was briefly hospitalized and is expected to recover.

The man police said attacked DiPaola, Wesley Erickson, 26, of Huntington, fled but was arrested a short time later. No weapon was recovered.

The victim's father, Ralph DiPaola of Bellport, told reporters his son attends Hofstra University and that the fight began between two women before spreading. "It wasn't his fault," DiPaola said. "It was a melee. He had nothing to do with that whatsoever.

"This kid came up from behind and stabbed him."

Partygoer Steve Pinello said he left not long after the party got "really crazy" and the line stretched around the block.

"It was a good atmosphere until 10 o'clock," he said. "Then things just went south."

Police said groups were gathered outside the eatery, which has a permit for the outdoor celebration. There were several fights throughout the night, with the most serious fracas after midnight spilling into the street and prompting officers to call for backup. At 1 a.m., the intersection of Main Street and New York Avenue was closed, with more than 20 Suffolk police patrol cars cordoning off the area.

Erickson was charged with second-degree assault, a felony, and resisting arrest. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in First District Court in Central Islip Thursday and was held on $10,000 cash bail or $25,000 bond. Erickson also had an outstanding warrant in Pennsylvania for a parole violation, officials said. An order of protection was also issued. Erickson was represented by a Legal Aid attorney and is due back in court Friday.

Police also arrested Matia Branch, 24, of Melville, charging her with punching a First Precinct officer who responded to quell the fight. Branch pleaded not guilty to second-degree harassment and resisting arrest and was held on $1,100 cash bail. It was unclear who represented her at the arraignment. A number listed in her name in Melville was disconnected.

With Timothy Hughes