Police: Man Loses Fingertip in Late-Night Fight

A late-night brawl this weekend ended with a man getting a fingertip bitten off, according to the Arlington County Police Department.

Rudy Sales Perez, 21, and Jose Lopez Sales, 23, both of Arlington, have been charged with malicious wounding by mob and are being held without bond, according to police.

Perez, Sales and the victim were in a bar in the 2600 block of North Pershing Drive around 2 a.m. Sunday, police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said.

"They were drinking inside, and then they went outside to continue drinking in a van," Sternbeck said. "Words were exchanged between the suspects and the victim regarding the victim's wife or girlfriend or significant other. It escalated from there."

Sternbeck continued: "When he tried leaving, they jumped out and all started fighting."

At some point during the altercation, the victim had his fingers in the mouth of one of his attackers, Sternbeck said. That man bit down, severing the victim's right index finger around the knuckle closest to the nail. Sternbeck would not say which attacker it was.

Police arrived on the scene at about 2:15 a.m.

The fingertip was recovered on the scene and taken to a local hospital with the victim, Sternbeck said.

There, the victim was told it could not be reattached.