A bodybuilding grandfather from New Jersey was beaten to death with a metal baseball bat while trying to confront a teenage boy who had allegedly assaulted his daughter, according to police.
Louis “Gus” Serbeck, 54, and his 19-year-old daughter, Brooke Serbeck, showed up at the Vineland home of a 17-year-old boy on Easter Sunday to confront him and his father about an alleged assault that had taken place the previous day, according to the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office. The teen and his father, Eric Hannah—described as “lifelong” friends of the Serbeck family—met the angry bodybuilder at the door, where a physical altercation broke out, the police statement said.
An Argument and a Brutal Murder
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Prosecutors said the teen, identified only as J.H., allegedly hit Serbeck in the head multiple times with a metal baseball bat. His father, Hannah, 55, then reportedly picked up a metal flashlight and hit Serbeck in the back of the head, according to officials.
Prosecutors said Brooke saw her father being attacked by both the teen and his father, and was also allegedly “hit in the head” by the same teenager she had accused of assaulting her the day before.
When police arrived at the scene, they found Serbeck in critical condition. The father of two and grandfather of two succumbed to his injuries while being transported to the hospital. “He literally laid his life down for his daughter,” Serbeck’s heartbroken brother, Christopher Serbeck, told 6 ABC Action News, holding back tears.
The teenager and his father were arrested and charged with homicide and multiple weapons offenses. J.H. also faces an additional charge of aggravated assault for allegedly hitting Serbeck’s daughter.
Hannah was booked into the Cumberland County Jail, while his son was sent to a juvenile detention center. Prosecutors are still deciding whether J.H. will be tried as an adult.
Serbeck’s brother, Christopher, described him as a loving father remembered for his generosity and always being ready to help others.
“He would take the shirt off his back and give it to you, just ’cause you needed it. You call him, he’ll be there,” he told 6 ABC Action News.
Killed for Being a Protective Father
Christopher told the outlet that the two families had been close friends for several years. “He went to school with my oldest brother. Known him our whole life,” the grieving brother said. “No expectations of something like this happening at all.”
An online obituary describes Serbeck as a dedicated father and a “fierce protector” of his two daughters, Summer and Brooke.
“Summer and Brooke brought out a tender, loving, compassionate side of Gus that many people never saw before,” his obituary reads. “He was never happier than when he had one of his daughters in his arms sharing a big smiling cheek-to-cheek hug.”
The beloved father of two was also a proud grandfather to two young boys from his daughter Summer and “would be anywhere, Home Depot, Walmart, the flea market, and he’d see something he had to buy for his grandsons. He enjoyed nothing more than spoiling those boys.”
In recent years, Serbeck had developed a strong bond with his daughter Brooke, and the two were often seen together, always enjoying lighthearted and fun moments. “He’d call off of work to take her to get her hair or nails done, or to take her shopping because she wanted the newest sneaker. Gus was the epitome of a protecting, providing father,” the post read.
