Memorial Set for Slain Red Bank Man

In the story friends and family tell, Larry Yarbrough was only protecting a friend when he stepped between two men during a early Sunday morning fight on Bank Street and was fatally stabbed.

Outside of 9 Bank St. – a now empty dwelling with a boarded up window and front door serving as a reminder of the deadly brawl – a tree, festooned with colorful balloons and hand-scrawled messages, serves as the center for a makeshift memorial for the man affectionately known as “Froggy.”

In the aftermath of Yarbrough’s death, family and friends say what they’re most interested in now is healing, and that includes the neighborhood. This Saturday, Pilgrim Baptist Church is hosting an event of prayer and remembrance, as well as a march for peace, in honor of Yarbrough.

It’s the only fitting response, they say, to a man who will always be known as a fun and loving man with deep community ties.

According to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s office, a fight between two groups of men broke out before 4 a.m. Sunday morning. Neighbors called the police after hearing the sound of shattered glass. When authorities arrived they found two men with stab wounds, including Yarbrough, lying in the street. Though emergency medical personnel tended to Yarbrough on the scene, the 39 year old was declared dead when he arrived at Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune.

On Monday, First Assistant Prosecutor Richard Incremona announced that two men had been arrested and charged with murder and weapons charges in connection with the stabbing. Red Bank residents Jose Francisco Olivares-Palma, 24, and Genarro Guerrero-Montes, 19, were arrested after fleeing to Lakewood.

Olivares-Palma was also charged with attempted murder after authorities said he stabbed a second victim, Manuel Rosas-Oceloti, who remained in stable condition in Jersey Shore as of Monday.

The authorities have been mum on what prompted the fight or why Yarbrough was stabbed. Olivares-Palma and Guerrero-Montes remain jailed in lieu of $2 million and $1 million bail, respectively.

Linda Clark, the River Street resident who helped organize the event, spoke before Red Bank’s council Wednesday night. She said there’s plenty of stress in the west side neighborhood and a concerted effort is needed to end it.

“We just want to have time for healing,” she said. “I’ve been out there for the past few days. There are people who don’t take part until there is a crisis. We want to bridge that gap.

“This is just the first step.”

With some of Yarbrough’s family in attendance, each of the borough’s council members, as well as Mayor Pat Menna, offered their condolences. Menna said he attended school in Red Bank with members of the Yarbrough family and called them part of the fabric of Red Bank, not just it’s west side.

“It’s been a rough week for Red Bank, but it’s been an especially rough week for the Yarbrough family,” he said. “We will be pressing for justice, we will also be pressing to rectify what happened that night.”

Menna said he has been in regular contact with Red Bank police and the prosecutor’s office. Though he is privy to additional information that has not been released to the public, Menna said he has been asked not to comment or provide specifics about the Sunday incident. He credited the local police force as well as the prosecutor’s office for apprehending the two suspects.

Though the Yarbrough family has a tough time ahead, Menna said the borough would be there in any capacity it can.

The Saturday event called “A Time for Healing” will include the Count the Children Movement, Pilgrim Baptist Church, the Greater Red Bank NAACP and various community leaders and organizers. The event is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at Pilgrim Baptist, located at 172 Shrewsbury Ave. The event will include a silent march to Bank Street and candlelight vigil.