Man Gets 24 Years for Killing Father of Four During Bar Fight

An Orange man was sentenced to 24 years in state prison Tuesday for killing a bouncer of a West Orange restaurant last year.

Jose Garcia-Lendos, 25, was sentenced by Judge Peter J. Vazquez in Newark for aggregated manslaughter and attempted murder for the killing of Jacques Nelson, 32, of Orange, during a bar fight at Misty's on Aug. 6, 2012.

Garcia-Lendos, a Honduran national, accepted a plea bargain in late July when he admitted through an interpreter he was drunk at the time of the incident.

According to authorities, Nelson was attempting to break up a fight between two patrons in the parking lot behind the bar at the 277 Main St., where Garcia-Lendos pulled out a gun and shot Nelson in the chest.

Nelson was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Garcia-Lendos attempted to flee the country into Mexico but was arrested by authorities in Texas a week after the killing.

Nelson was a father of four who was working for eight months at Misty’s as his second job on weekends. 

"This is a tragedy for the entire Nelson family. Here was a man working two jobs to provide for his family. He stepped in to be a peacemaker during a fight and was senselessly killed by a man with an illegal gun," Assistant Prosecutor Eileen O’Connor said. “Hopefully, the outcome will bring the family a measure of solace."

Garcia-Lendos faces deportation after he completes his prison sentence. Under the No Early Release Act, he is required to serve 85 percent of the 24-year before becoming eligible for parole. Garcia-Lendos will also be required to serve five years probation when he is released.