SOUTHWICK – An incident at a Southwick bar in May led to charges for a 32-year-old Southwick man.
Jacob A. Lisheness of Southwick was released on his personal recognizance pending a September 10 hearing after being arraigned in Westfield District Court Friday on charges of two counts of threat to commit a crime.
Police were summonsed to the Sky Box Sports Bar, located at 25 Point Grove Road, around 10:30 p.m. on May 10, according to court records.
Witnesses complained about Lisheness, who was sitting at the bar. Southwick Police Officer David Massai wrote in his report that “Lisheness is known to me and is known to this department as having been involved with other disturbances.”
On May 10, Lisheness allegedly made threats to have another patron at the Sky Box Sports Bar “taken care of,” which was interpreted to mean “start a fight,” according to court records.
Additionally, Lisheness allegedly threatened to have one of the witnesses raped and killed if she interfered with his plan to beat up the patron.
Massai spoke with this bar patron, who is someone also known to Massai, and this patron stated he hadn’t even seen Lisheness that night.
At this point, Massai decided to speak to the bar’s owner, Randy Rindels, by phone to see whether Rindels wanted to trespass Lisheness from the bar, according to court documents.
Per Rindels’ request to trespass Lisheness, officers asked Lisheness to leave, which he did willingly, according to Massai’s report.
Lisheness denied making any threats against anyone, according to court records, but stated that due to his record, “he could not do this himself and that he would be having other people take care of [the patron] for him.”
Witnesses said he had arranged for five guys to meet this patron at the Sky Box Sports Bar that night.
Massai reports that he waited for Lisheness to leave the area before he and another officer left.
A few days later, Massai obtained video surveillance from the evening of May 10 and observed that five large individuals walked in and around the bar as if looking for someone, and then eventually left, according to court records.
Massai identified one of the men as Mark Nutting, who is allegedly affiliated with the “Diablo” motorcycle gang, and has previous assault and battery with dangerous weapons charges, according to court records.
