Trial date set in Muse parking lot assault case
BY PETER A. SUTTERS JR. INDEPENDENT WRITER
ANantucket man accused of driving his car through a crowd of people in the parking lot of The Muse nightclub in October 2006 will have his day in court.

Roberto J. Tejada, 23, of 52 Cato Lane, had a trial date of Sept. 22 set during a brief appearance in Superior Court on Monday.

Tejada, dressed in an all black suit with a white shirt, did not speak during the appearance.

Tejada is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, leaving the scene of an accident with personal injury or death and negligent driving.

The charges stem from an early morning incident on Oct. 8, 2006 that began after the last call at The Muse on Surfside Road and ended with three people being taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

According to a Nantucket Police Department report on the incident, Tejada was observed by a number of people in the parking lot of The Muse driving a black pick-up truck with an unknown passenger in the front seat. That passenger was involved in an altercation with someone in the parking

lot and exited the vehicle. At that point, the report states, Tejada "backed up, the drove forward, accelerating rapidly. He struck a picnic table, and continued to accelerate into the busy parking lot which was full of pedestrians."

The report states that a number of people were forced to jump out of the way, but that three victims were struck by Tejada's vehicle - with at least two of them being run over by him "causing serious bodily injuries to all three victims."

The victims suffered injuries ranging from skull fractures, internal injuries, broken ribs to intestinal bleeding.

Tejada fled the scene at a high rate of speed, according to the report. Police were able to locate Tejada's vehicle a short time later and observed a substantial amount of damage to it, as well as bits of clothing and imprints.

Tejada was not with the vehicle when police located it but did turn himself in the following day and was placed under arrest.

During an interview with police, Tejada told detectives he tried to scare the person who was in the altercation with the passenger in his vehicle by driving at him, but "didn't remember

what happened after that." I