Man charged in Brentwood pool hall slay

A Brentwood man was arrested Monday on a charge of second-degree murder in the Saturday death of a man outside a Suffolk County pool hall, homicide squad detectives said.

Jairon A. Gonzales-Martinez, 23, of 10 Orient Ave., pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Monday at First District Court in Central Islip in the slaying of another Brentwood man, Rumaldo Bethancourt-Lopez, 29, of Suffolk Avenue. He was held without bail.

Third Precinct officers responded to a 911 call reporting a fight outside the Fiesta Pool Hall on Suffolk Avenue in Brentwood about 1:49 a.m., according to a police report.

Officers found Bethancourt-Lopez, originally from Guatemala, dead from head trauma caused by blunt force, police said.

Another man, Ramiro Garcia, 32, of Central Islip, also suffered blunt force trauma to his head. Garcia was taken to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore in critical condition, and later transferred to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset.

No update on Garcia's condition was available Monday, a police spokeswoman said.

Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 800-220-8477, or the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392. All calls will be kept confidential.