By Shayna Jacobs
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN CRIMINAL COURT — A man accused of severely beating a 29-year-old nurse at a midtown bar after she refused to dance with him early Thursday morning was arraigned Saturday on attempted murder and rape charges.
Mbarek Lafrem, 30, claimed he was acting in self-defense when he fractured the woman's skull and broke her jaw, nose and eye socket after following her into the bathroom at the bar Social and assaulting her, according to court papers.
"I went to the bathroom and she started yelling at me," the Pennsylvania construction worker told police. "She was trying to push me so I punched her in the face twice and pushed her back into the stall."
Her friends went to look for her shortly after the incident and found her lying unconscious on the ground with her blood splattered on the walls. Her pants were inside out and pulled almost entirely off her body.
Lafrem was held without bail at his arraignment Saturday in Manhattan Criminal Court. He is scheduled to return to court on March 18.
Police released a video of him leaving the bar wearing the same Yankees jacket he was arrested in.
He was also reportedly caught on surveillance stealing beer at a nearby bodega.
