Jefferson City police arrest man accused of murder after Aug. 17 assault at Twisted Chicks

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Jefferson City detectives arrested a man accused of murder in relation to an assault that occurred in the 2700 block of Industrial Drive on Aug. 17, a press release from the Jefferson City Police Department says.

Kamari Balton, 26, was arrested on Friday on suspicion of second-degree murder, the release says. He’s accused of killing 49-year-old Rafael Ayala at Twisted Chicks, the release says. Charges have yet to appear on Casenet. He is currently being held at the Platte County Jail and is waiting to be extradited to Cole County.

According to the release, police were called to Twisted Chicks at 1:43 a.m. in reference to an assault at the business, with the caller claiming one person was unconscious on the ground. Police found Ayala unconscious and he was brought to University Hospital in Columbia, where he later died from his injuries, the release says.

The owner of Twisted Chicks said the fight occurred in a parking lot outside of the building after the bar was closed for the evening.

Another man had been arrested that night in relation to the assault, but charges are no longer pending for him, according to Cole County Prosecutors Locke Thompson.

A second arrest to an unrelated assault was made at the same location days later.