"Devoted" dad Louis Serbeck beaten to death by old school friend while sticking up for his daughter

A "devoted" dad was beaten to death after standing up for his daughter, who claimed she had been beaten at a friend's house, it has been claimed. Louis Serbeck died on Easter Sunday after going to the home of his school friend Eric Hannah - where his 19-year-old daughter, Brooke, said she had been the victim of an assault which left her with black eyes.

She claimed 55-year-old Mr Hannah and his son, Jacob, had beaten her when she spent a night at their house in New Jersey, USA - and her dad, 54, went to confront them over the incident.

Tragically, Mr Hannah - an old school friend of Louis - and his 17-year-old son, turned on the loving dad after it is alleged the situation became "extremely aggressive", with the teen reportedly hitting him in the face, a Cumberland County criminal complaint stated.

Brooke claimed the pair smashed up her dad's truck with a metal baseball bat and that when he tried to stop Jacob, the teen turned on him, hitting him with the weapon. She said she watched in horror as Jacob beat her dad, to his knees, before Mr Hannah joined in - allegedly hitting Louis with a "large metal flashlight".

The court papers said Louis was struck "several times" in the back of the head, with Brooke also allegedly "struck in the head" by Jacob during the fight. As the scuffle continued, the teen managed to get her dad away from the pair and back to the truck, where she said he struggled to breath - only for Mr Hannah and his son to return armed with a hammer.

However, before they could unleash any further violence, the court documents claim, Louis collapsed and the police were called. Despite the efforts of officers, he was declared dead as he was being taken to hospital, the New York Post reported.

The Hannah family claims Brooke's injuries came due to her drunken behaviour while at their house, and that she lied to her dad. They also claim Louis threw the first punch when he confronted Jacob over his daughter's injuries. They say Jacob grabbed a bat to defend himself while Louis used a pipe as they swung at one another, the papers reveal.

But ahead of court hearings over the incident, prosecutors say a 14-year-old girl filmed much of the incident - and say they will use the footage as evidence Louis was murdered.

Now the tragic dad's brother, Christopher, has spoken of his heartbreak over the incident. "To have someone you've known your whole life kill you, it just doesn't add up," he said. "And to know my brother, if somebody came out of the door in a threatening manner, they never would have made it past his left hand.

"I've seen him fight five guys at the same time and never have a problem. There's something that wasn't right about that day."

Louis' friends have paid tribute to a "devoted" father whose two daughters and grandchildren "were everything to him".

Mr Hannah faces homicide charges and was taken to the Cumberland County Jail, while Jacob was taken to a juvenile facility and it is being determined whether he should be charged as an adult over the death.