Lopez

A city man accused of killing another during a fight early Sunday morning trains as a boxer at a gym in Altoona, according to court documents.

Corey Lexus Lopez, 34, told police he was defending himself and his girlfriend during the fight that left 41-year-old James Dunn of Altoona unresponsive outside the Kettle Inn, along the 400 block of South Kettle Street.

Dunn was pronounced dead at UPMC Altoona, with his death attributed to injuries suffered in the fight with Lopez, according to the Blair County Coroner’s Office.

Lopez was arraigned Sunday afternoon on criminal homicide and related charges. He remains in Blair County Prison with bail denied.

The affidavit of probable cause available Monday provides additional information into the melee that lasted just a few minutes.

According to the report, Altoona police were dispatched to the scene in front of the Kettle Inn about 1:03 a.m. after an “open line” 911 call, with dispatchers stating they could hear people in the background yelling, screaming and requesting an ambulance.

As officers attempted to gain control at the scene, Lopez pushed an officer toward a nearby parked car with such force that it caused the officer’s body camera to fall off, the affidavit states.

Lopez was taken down and taken into custody at that time, police reported.

According to Lopez’s girlfriend, Dunn was her uncle and many of the people on scene were her relatives. She told police the whole group was drinking together at the Kettle Inn without issue, until she and her female cousin started arguing as they exited the bar.

A female witness got involved and ended up punching Lopez’s girlfriend and the girlfriend hit back, resulting in the three women fighting on the ground, the report states.

When the girlfriend tried to return to the bar, she said someone pulled her back. At that point, Lopez came out of the bar and started swinging his fists at Dunn, who then attempted to hit Lopez. Lopez hit Dunn about the face, knocking him to the ground, the girlfriend told police.

At one point, Dunn’s relative pulled out a firearm and discharged a single round, she said.

Dunn’s relative said the fight began with the women and then Lopez got involved, striking him before running away. When the relative went to help Dunn, Lopez returned and kicked him in the face, the relative told police.

The relative said the entire altercation lasted about three to four minutes.

Security footage from the Kettle Inn showed that the altercation began at

12:59 a.m. between the three women, with Dunn attempting to separate them. The first fight ends a minute later, but re-escelates, police said. At 1:02 a.m., the female witness pulls the girlfriend off the steps and they continue to fight on the ground with the female cousin, police said.

At that point, Lopez comes outside and gets involved, with the relative trying to pull him out of the fight. Police said Lopez stands up and appears to be talking to the relative until Lopez sucker punches him and takes a fighting stance with his hands up. The relative also takes a fighting stance before the two move out of the camera view, police said.

Multiple witness interviews corroborated much of the story, with one witness stating she didn’t see the confrontation between Lopez and Dunn, only that her daughter screamed that “Corey hit James.”

A witness said Lopez ran toward Dunn while yelling “I want some of you, big boy,” and said that Lopez hit Dunn with such force that Dunn went airborne and landed facedown and didn’t move.

A recorded 911 call captured Dunn’s mother confronting Lopez, who yelled “I defended myself” and “I didn’t touch him,” the affidavit states.

Lopez willingly spoke to officers again, stating he didn’t remember much of the altercation as he was intoxicated and suffered a head injury. He remained adamant that his intentions were to fight the man with the gun and that he was defending himself and his girlfriend, police reported.

When told that Dunn was dead, Lopez became emotional in the cell at APD, stating “it was an accident,” according to the affidavit.

Police said that Lopez suffered a fracture to his right hand during the altercation. Dunn’s relative received stitches to the inside of his upper and lower lip, as well as suffering from a possible blood clot.

In addition to the criminal homicide charge, Lopez faces felony charges of aggravated assault, misdemeanor charges of simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, obstruction of justice and resisting arrest, along with summary charges of harassment, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief, public drunkenness and possession of a small amount of marijuana.

The affidavit notes that Lopez was convicted in 2018 for aggravated assault after he repeatedly sucker punched a victim, who ended up hospitalized.

Lopez’s preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 14 before Magisterial District Judge Daniel C. DeAntonio.

Police are seeking information on the ongoing investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Eric Heuston at 814-949-2524 or Det. Matthew Angermeier at 814-949-2493.