Suspicious West Side death is homicide, suspect in custody
Oct. 19—Scranton police responding Wednesday to a reported West Side burglary found a dead man with a stab wound leaning against a blood-covered tub, his body cold to the touch and his wrists bound with duct tape.
The man dead at 1127 Rock St., Richard Hazelton Jr., 52, was strangled to death, Lackawanna County Coroner Timothy Rowland said Thursday. He ruled the death a homicide.
City police detectives charged William J. Auriemma Jr., 52, a resident of the Rock Street home, with felony counts of aggravated assault and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The investigation remains active and additional charges are expected, District Attorney Mark Powell said.
Auriemma, who called 911 Wednesday morning to report a break-in, said he had a man tied down. Noting there were no injuries or weapons involved, he also told the dispatcher he heard someone on the back porch and didn't know whether another person was there, according to charging documents.
Patrol officers found Auriemma covered in blood. The man who broke in wasn't there, he told them.
Auriemma walked into a room and returned with a metal pipe. A trail of blood led to the room from which he retrieved the pipe; officers discovered Hazelton's body inside.
Claiming the man broke in and came at him from behind, Auriemma told police he put the victim against the tub, put a "sweater around his neck and thought he would black out," an affidavit notes. He then said he struck the man with a rock and used a toilet seat to hold him down.
Auriemma's girlfriend, who also lives at 1127 Rock St., told police Auriemma and Hazelton had returned Sunday from the same rehabilitation facility. Hazelton stayed at the house on and off for the past several days, she said, adding she saw them together about 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, before she left for work.
"She said there was no arguing or disagreements that she knew of, and everything appeared normal before she left," the affidavit notes.
At police headquarters, Auriemma initially denied to detectives that Hazelton was staying at the home. He eventually acknowledged Hazelton was there, but maintained he didn't know the deceased, police said.
Investigators later positively identified Hazelton. They found his ID and other identifying paperwork in a plastic bag, under a blanket, in a garbage can in front of the Rock Street house.
"Hazelton had multiple injuries throughout his body which included a puncture wound in his right back area, a laceration on the front right side of his neck, an abrasion and laceration on the right side of his chest, ligature marks on his neck, and his hands and wrists were bound," the affidavit reads. "There was a sweater around his head and face."
Auriemma was denied bail and remains in Lackawanna County Prison. He awaits a preliminary hearing set for Nov. 1 at 10:30 a.m.
Police expect to issue a full press release Friday.
Contact the writer: jhorvath@scrantontimes.com; 570-348-9141; @jhorvathTT on Twitter.
