Brothers' Fight Leads to Stabbing, Assault to Murder Charge

A Somerville man allegedly stabbed his brother with a kitchen knife after an altercation between the two at a Pearl Street home, leading to his arrest on a charge of armed assault to murder.

The victim sustained severe lacerations and was treated for non-life threatening injuries, according to the police report.

Police responded on Saturday, Aug. 25 around 3 p.m. to Cambridge City Hospital for a report of a stabbing, where the victim told a detective that 40 minutes earlier, he had gone to his former home on Pearl Street with his girlfriend, where his brother still lived, to pick up some clothes he left behind before he had moved to Lynn.

When they arrived at the home, the victim told police that he saw his brother, Jason Laporta, 36, sleeping in the couch and decided to wake him up to check on him. When LaPorta woke up, the victim alleged that his brother "started verbally abusing his girlfriend ... and subsequently spat in her face."

That led to an argument between the brothers and the victim told police he pushed LaPorta, who then picked up a kitchen knife and swung at him, striking him once on the elbow and on the leg.

The victim said he and his girlfriend ran out of the home and jumped into the car they came in, driven by another person, which was parked on Wiggelsworth Street. The driver alleged she saw Laporta chasing after the victim and his girlfriend while holding the knife, shouting profanities at them, and that he picked up a heavy object, possibly a brick, and threw it at the car, hitting it.

After they drove away, the victim realized he had been stabbed and and asked to be taken to a hospital.

Around 3:40 p.m., detectives and officers arrived at the home on Pearl Street and found Laporta standing his yard at 199 Pearl St. They placed him under arrest on charges of armed assault to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and malicious destruction of property worth more than $250.

Officers frisked Laporta, according to the police report, and an approximately 8-inch blood-stained kitchen knife was taken from his right pants pocket.

Remember that allegations contained in police reports do not indicate a conviction.