Union County Man Found Guilty Of Manslaughter After Fatal Bar Brawl

ELIZABETH, NJ — An Elizabeth man was found guilty of beating a 28-year-old man to death outside of a bar in July 2019, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel announced Tuesday.

A Union County jury has returned a guilty verdict against Laquan McCall, 31, of Elizabeth, on Friday on one count each of second-degree manslaughter and second-degree aggravated assault following a two-week trial before Union County Superior Court Judge Candido Rodriguez, Jr.

The jury deliberated for three days before returning its verdict.

Shortly after 2 a.m. on Saturday, July 27, 2019, Elizabeth Police were called to a report of an altercation at Ben’s Bar on the 600 block of Meadow Street and found Oscar Melara, 28, who had sustained severe injuries, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutors Alaina Caliendo and Jillian Reyes, who prosecuted the case. Read More: Union Co. Man Charged After Fatal Bar Brawl: Prosecutor

Melara was taken to Trinitas Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

During the trial, it was revealed that McCall punched the victim about four times outside the bar after an altercation, ultimately causing brain injuries that led to Melara's death, according to the report.

McCall was identified, charged and arrested following an investigation by the Union County Homicide Task Force, the Elizabeth Police Department, and the Union County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit.

Sentencing has been scheduled for Jan. 27, 2023, before Judge Rodriguez, at which time
McCall can face a term of up to 10 years in state prison, of which he would be required to serve 85 percent of that sentence prior to being eligible for parole under the State's No Early Release Act (NERA).