Municipal officials permanently shut down the strip club that allowed a 19-year-old to drink inside before he was beaten by three men in the parking lot and later found dead.
The Pleasantville City Council voted to revoke the mercantile license of Centerfolds Cabaret on Delilah Road, where authorities say 19-year-old Irving Mayren-Guzman was last seen during the early morning hours of January 23.
Mayren-Guzman was inside Centerfolds when security staffers at the strip club escorted him outside, along with three men who were involved in some sort of incident inside the establishment.
According to court documents, all three suspects reportedly exited the strip club at the same time as Mayren-Guzman.
“We do know that there was an altercation outside. A fight,” said Pleasantville Acting Police Chief James Williams. “We don’t know what started the fight. We don’t know if the parties knew one another.”
Jamaul Timberlake, 30, of Atlantic City, John Hands, 24, of Pleasantville and Garnell Hands, 29, of Pleasantville have all been charged with 2nd degree aggravated assault and conspiracy in connection with the man’s death.
The three men seriously injured Mayren-Guzman, striking him with a closed fist and kicking him in the face and body while he was on the ground, according to court documents.
“The victim was then struck by Garnell in the face with a closed fist. After Garnell hits the victim, John then strikes the victim with a closed fist several times in the face and body. Additionally, Jamaul then began striking the victim with a closed fist to his face and body and kicked him several times to his face and body while he was on the ground,” states an affidavit of probable cause.
Multiple witnesses, staff and patrons allegedly saw the fight, and police say video also captured the incident.
Police said Mayren-Guzman then ran away from the business minutes later. He was reported missing later that day.
His body was later found on January 25 in a marshy area nearby.
Before Wednesday night’s City Council meeting, More than 1,000 people, including the victim’s family and friends, marched to Pleasantville Municipal Court to demand Centerfolds be shut down.
A lawyer told the city council that Centerfolds served the 19-year-old and his friends alcohol despite knowing they were underage. . Officials say the victim and his friends were seen on video showing IDs when they arrived at the strip club, suggesting it was proof the club knew they weren’t 21 years old.
An official cause of Mayren-Guzman’s death has not been released.
“It still hurts,” said Eduardo Alvarez, Mayren-Guzman’s brother. “It hurts a lot. It hurts having to hear my mom cry.”
“At least they’re going to close the place. It won’t happen again with somebody else,” said Irving Mayren-Guzman’s mother.
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