Alexandria Man Sentenced For Killing Brother In Fistfight

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A West End man will spend three years in a state prison for accidentally killing his brother in a fistfight, Alexandria's top prosecutor announced Thursday. Brian Cruz-Segovia, 24, pleaded guilty in the Alexandria Circuit Court to involuntary manslaughter, a felony charge stemming from the death of his brother, Nelson Roberto Cruz, said Commonwealth's Attorney Bryan Porter.

Cruz-Segovia's "unthinking resort to violence" in the apartment brawl has ruined two lives, Porter said in a statement. "I hope the circumstances of this case stand [as] a warning to other citizens: Do not let verbal altercations turn physical, because there are often grave consequences when people resort to violence.

“I pray that the Cruz family can now begin the healing process caused by this tragedy," Porter said.

On March 25, the Cruz brothers were eating dinner in their apartment on North Beauregard Street when an argument erupted between them, according to the statement from the Commonwealth's Attorney's office. During the fight, Cruz-Segovia punched his brother in the face, causing him to fall to the floor.

Nelson Cruz sustained head injuries in the fight that led to his death. Evidence from the case showed that Cruz-Segovia intended to punch his brother, but "there was no evidence showing that he intended to kill the victim," Porter said in the statement.

In a court hearing Thursday, Cruz-Segovia was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with all but three years suspended on the conditions of 10 years of good behavior after his release, five years of probation and the payment of $5,000 in restitution for his brother’s funeral expenses.

Cruz-Segovia is being held in the city jail pending his transfer to Virginia's prison system. (For more information on this and other Alexandria stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)

State law defines involuntary manslaughter as the unintended killing of another person as the result of an unlawful but not felonious act, Porter said.

The fight between the two brothers met these criteria, the top prosecutor said, because there were no aggravating factors, "such as the use of a weapon, an inordinate amount of blows, or a difference in the size or age of the defendant and the victim that would demand a murder conviction.”

Image: Brian Cruz-Segovia (Alexandria Police Department)