By Jim Clark 

Police were called to the parking lot at 111 South St. last week on reports of fighting in progress at that location.

Upon arrival, officers were informed by the reporting party that he was chasing a man who had just physically assaulted him and vandalized his car. The man reportedly said that he and a friend had chased an individual to the nearby La Hacienda Restaurant.

Police checked the restaurant and found a man fitting the alleged victim’s description inside the back kitchen area. At the man’s feet was a black jacket with a white pentagram design on the back. A rounded piece of wood was found inside the jacket, police said.

The alleged victim reportedly told police that he and his friend had been accosted by a group of four men as they were talking, one of which was the suspect found at the La Hacienda Restaurant. He said that the men smashed windows of his friend’s car and that he was also struck with a club by the man being held by police.

The alleged victim further stated that three of the four assailants get into a vehicle and drove away, but that one of the men had been left behind and that is when the alleged victim and his friend chased the man to the restaurant.

Based on witness testimony and that of the alleged victim police placed the man found in the restaurant, Daniel Nelligan, 23, of Whitman, under arrest and charged him with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and malicious damage to a motor vehicle.