Wedding Brawl sparked by Bride’s music preferences
PORT CHESTER - A bride and groom spent their wedding night at the Port Chester jail after a dispute Saturday with the wedding musicians turned into a melee involving the band and later, village police.
The argument spiraled out of hand shortly after 11 p.m. when the bride, Fabiana Reyes (pictured right), 41, insisted that she wanted to hear live music, not the DJ. Band members declined, insisting they were instructed to play only when the DJ was not, Port Chester police Lt. James Ladeairous said yesterday.
When the band continued to refuse to play, Reyes knocked over and damaged the band’s conga drums valued at $600, a speaker valued at $350 and other equipment - bringing the damages to more than $1,500, Ladeairous said. The reception was held at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church on Westchester Avenue.
The couple’s 21-year-old daughter, Helen Fernandez, attempted to prevent police from making the arrest and got into a shoving match with police, leading to her arrest, Ladeairous said.
Moments later, the groom, Elmo Jesus Fernandez, 42, intervened and also got into a fight with village police, leading to his arrest, Ladeairous said. All three live at 9 Beech St., Port Chester.
The church’s pastor, the Rev. Hilario Albert, said he was at home several blocks away when he learned about the fracas Saturday night. He arrived in time to see the police and several wedding guests picking up their belongings.
The church restricts the events for which it rents the hall to weddings, baptisms and a few special events, he said. Albert said the couple had rented the church’s parish hall from 4 p.m. to midnight.
“It is painful to see a wedding, in particular, end the way it did,” said Albert, who has been the church’s pastor for the past three years.
Helen and Elmo Jesus Fernandez were charged with obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest, misdemeanors, and were released on $250 bail Sunday morning. Reyes was charged with criminal mischief, a felony, and was in jail late yesterday afternoon on $500 bail.
Though social events can turn into brawls, Ladeairous said Saturday’s incident was different.
“Offhand, I don’t think we’ve seen something like this for a wedding,” he said.
All three had been held in separate cells, Ladeairous said.
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