Sad End For Young Window Washer

Police said Zachary Maloney, 18, died after a fight in the parking lot of All Clear, 1237 Lake Ave. NE, on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011.

Teen dies after fight in northeast Cedar Rapids: A fistfight between friends Tuesday in the parking lot of a northeast Cedar Rapids business turned deadly for one teenager involved, police said. Zachary M. Maloney (pictured), 18, of Hiawatha, died shortly after friends brought him to St. Luke’s Hospital after the fight in the parking lot of All Clear, 1237 Lake Ave. NE. Maloney was an employee at the window- and gutter-cleaning business. Sgt. Cristy Hamblin said Maloney and a male friend of about the same age were the only two involved in the fight. At least one other person witnessed the fight, she said. “They exchanged words, and push came to shove,” Hamblin said. “They’d been friends for a very long time.”

Hamblin said the fight happened around 6:10 p.m. and did not include any weapons. Maloney fell to the ground and the two young men wrestled. Witnesses said Maloney began to suffer seizure-like symptoms. He was unresponsive when friends took him to the hospital, police said. Police first learned of the incident around 6:50 p.m. after Maloney had arrived at the hospital. Hamblin said they were called by hospital staff. The name of the other young man involved has not been released. Investigators also have not said what prompted the fight.

Andrea Fernandez-Flanagan, Maloney’s mother, said the other young man involved was a friend and co-worker of her son. “Push led to shove and shove led to hitting,” Fernandez-Flanagan said. All Clear owner Chad Willett (pictured) confirmed Maloney was an employee of the business. He released a statement to the media, but declined to answer questions. “There was an unfortunate incident that happened last night,” Willett’s statement said. “Our hearts and prayers go out to the families involved.”

Hamblin said the other young man involved in the fight has been “very cooperative” with the investigation. No arrests have been made in the case. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday at the state medical examiner’s office in Ankeny, but preliminary results likely won’t be known until early next week, police said. “Right now, there are no charges, pending the outcome of the autopsy,” Hamblin said. “We don’t know if he died from the fight or if there was another medical reason.” Officials at College Community Schools said Maloney was a student at Prairie High School who left in September of 2010.

Update – Investigators are trying to determine what led to the death of an 18-year-old Tuesday in Cedar Rapids. Police were called to St. Luke’s Hospital around 6:50 p.m. after Zachary Maloney, 18, of 1092 Rainbow Blvd Hiawatha arrived with serious injuries from an assault. When officers arrived, they learned the 18-year-old male had died at the hospital. Earlier Wednesday, Maloney’s sister, Shelley Marsden, identified Maloney as the victim in the fight. She said he went by the name Zakk or the nickname “Boo.”