Crime & Safety

Arrests Follow New Year's Fight at Ritz Banquet Hall

At least three people were arrested after a large fight at the Brookline Boulevard banquet hall.

Three people were arrested following a fight that involved about 50 people at Ritz Banquet Hall in Brookline on New Year's Eve.

Stephen Howell, 24, Jacob Novicki, 20, and John Russo, 25, all of the Pittsburgh area, were arrested for their involvement in the fight.

Pittsburgh police spokesperson Diane Richard said the three men were heavily involved in the fight, and were inciting a riotous situation with the crowd.

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According to a report from WPXI, the fight started after someone tried to crash a private birthday party at the Brookline Boulevard banquet hall.

Court dockets filed Jan. 1 show that each of the three men were charged with inciting a riot, disorderly conduct, simple assault, failure to disperse and public drunkenness. Novicki also was charged with underage drinking.

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Preliminary hearings for the three men are scheduled for Jan. 10.

To read the full report from WPXI, click here.

Editor's note: Dormont-Brookline Patch is working to get more information about this incident, and will update this article when more information is available.

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