Crime & Safety
San Carlos Murder Suspect Faces Judge Tuesday
A 23-year-old man from San Carlos allegedly beat another man to death outside a bar.
Joseph Patrick Kaufman is scheduled to be in court today on a murder charge after a bar fight turned ugly earlier this year.
Kaufman, 23, was at Lariat Tavern in Belmont this spring when he got into a verbal altercation with a 48-year-old man.
According to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office, Kaufman and the man (Barney Hanepen) argued about Hanepen's female companion. The argument became violent and Kaufman punched Hanepen in the face, pushed him to the ground and kicked him in the head.
Hanepen suffered broken vertebrae, eye orbit fractures, broken teeth and bleeding in the brain. He died in the hospital on May 2, according to the DA's Office.
Judge Lisa Novak was scheduled to preside over the preliminary hearing Tuesday, which was predicted to last eight hours. Kaufman has been in custody on no bail status since the incident.
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