The New York Daily News by Kevin Deutsch - November 1, 2011
Allegedly enlisted other officers to make charges go away after receiving phone call from assailant
A Bronx man severely beaten by a paint store manager whose NYPD pals then allegedly covered up his crime is now suing his attackers, the Daily News has learned. The hobbled victim, Jose Ayala, will likely testify against the cops who tried to squash the case — including one officer who is accused of being one of the most egregious offenders in the NYPD ticket-fixing scandal, sources said. Ayala, 51, suffered numerous broken ribs and debilitating muscle injuries during the alleged Oct. 2010 beatdown at the hands of paint-store manager Michael Loturco. Ayala had snitched after seeing Loturco and another store manager slash a rival’s tires, prosecutors said, leading the men to seek a bloody vengeance with their fists. “He just kept beating me,” Ayala said of Loturco, who was indicted Friday along with 16 cops in the ticket-fixing scandal. “I’m still hurting.” As Ayala lay bleeding and hurt outside the New Palace Paint and Supply Shop on E. 180th St., Loturco called his longtime pal, Officer Christopher Scott. Scott, who fixed hundreds of tickets in the months before and after Loturco’s call, agreed to quash the assault case that his friend would have faced for the beating of Ayala, prosecutors said. To ensure Loturco beat the rap, Scott allegedly enlisted the help of Police Officers Marc Manara, Ruben Peralta, Jeffrey Regan and Lisa Marsh. The cops knew Loturco beat Ayala but turned a blind eye as a favor to Scott, prosecutors said. They falsified paperwork for Ayala's complaint, listing the perpetrator as unknown, court papers show. All the cops but Marsh were indicted and charged with multiple counts of conspiracy, falsifying records, hindering prosecution and official misconduct. Marsh may be called to testify against her comrades at trial, sources said. Loturco was connected and used that connection to avoid going to jail, said a source with knowledge of the case. Ayala was a completely innocent victim who had his assault complaint swept under the rug. He was just being a good Samaritan. It was vile. A bodega worker who knows Ayala said they were within a couple blows of killing him. It was ugly, he added. But they were like ... untouchable. The cover-up was sniffed out by NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau investigators, who listened to the plot unfold because Scott's phone was wiretapped. Scott, who works in the 48th Precinct, was once lauded as a hero for helping to save 12 people from a burning building in 2007. But prosecutors say he tarnished his badge by turning into one of the most prolific ticket-fixers in the NYPD. He faces nearly 200 criminal counts in connection with the ticket-fixing indictments, and 20 more counts for the assault cover-up. Loturco was released on $10,000 bail Saturday. Neither he nor his lawyer could be reached for comment. At the paint store where Loturco worked, an employee threatened a Daily News reporter who quizzed him about the assault. Get the f--k out of here! yelled the worker, who would not give his name. Ayala, meanwhile, still gets physical therapy every day for his injuries. He said he s glad the cops and Loturco have been brought to justice. Police should be better than that, he said. kdeutsch@nydailynews.com
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