WORCESTER, MASS. (WHDH) – A father accused of swinging a knife and a bat at teenage lifeguards at a Worcester pool plead not guilty to an array of troubling charges on Thursday and was ordered held without bail.
Carlos Betancourt, 42, of Worcester, faced a judge on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon — knife, assault with a dangerous weapon — bat, and vandalism.
“Obviously he does deny these charges, adamantly denies them,” Betancourt’s lawyer Michael Franklin said.
Officers responding to a reported disturbance at the Lincoln Village pool house on Country Club Boulevard just after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday learned that lifeguards had asked a group of children who were not listening to leave, according to Worcester police.
Betancourt, the father of the children, allegedly walked into the pool house where the lifeguards had gathered and began verbally arguing with them.
He then took out a knife and swung it at a 17-year-old male lifeguard, who in turn jumped back and was not hit, police said.
Betancourt went back to a vehicle in the parking lot, grabbed a baseball bat, and returned to the pool house before swinging the bat and nearly hitting a 15-year-old female lifeguard, police added.
“He waves a knife at, trying to strike a 17-year-old lifeguard. He then sees a 15-year-old lifeguard taking a picture of his license plate and swings a bat at her,” prosecutor Roberta O’Brien told the court.
He allegedly used the bat the smash the front glass door of the pool house and fled the scene.
Betancourt’s ex-girlfriend, who lives at the apartment complex and has an active restraining order against him, sat in court to hear the proceedings.
“The alleged victim did intend to remove the restoring order but didn’t get around to it. That’s an important consideration,” said Betancourt’s attorney.
O’Brien said Betancourt has a history of violence.
Betancourt was located at a Liberty Street address and placed under arrest.
“Weapons of choice: bat and knife in the past convictions on his record,” she said.
On Thursday, lifeguards were back working at the pool.
Earlier this month, a 17-year-old lifeguard was stabbed at Bell Pond in Worcester.
Four suspects have been arrested and charged in connection with that attack.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)