Lebanon City Police are seeking the public’s help in locating a 27-year-old Lebanon man, Ricardo Berrios-Hernandez, over his role in an assault at the Downtown Lounge on Wednesday evening, June 12.
According to Lebanon police, the incident began at approximately 5:20 p.m. Wednesday at the Downtown Lounge (734 Cumberland Street) when restaurant staff asked two people to leave the premises because of their behavior. Police said one of the subjects assaulted a bartender on the way out of the establishment, and both subjects then fled on foot.
Lebanon police began an investigation, but said they were delayed by a resident who lives at 734 Cumberland Street and is a known acquaintance of the suspects. This resident “failed to fully cooperate with police and delayed the investigation,” said police in a news release.
The investigation continued on Thursday, June 13, with Lebanon city detectives working to identify the two suspects. At around 3 p.m. Thursday, Lebanon police responded to 207 South Gannon Street, where they said one of the suspects was believed to reside.
“At that location, detectives had contact with that suspect and confirmed his identity and involvement,” said police in a statement. “While at that location, the second suspect jumped from a second-floor window and fled from police.”
Lebanon police said that several city residents assisted by providing information on how the second suspect had fled, but that he still managed to escape.
Police said that they found a vehicle belonging to the second suspect at that address and on Friday, June 14, were able to identify him as Berrios-Hernandez.
Berrios-Hernandez now faces one charge of felony aggravated assault and an additional misdemeanor charge of simple assault, and police said they have a warrant for his arrest.
“The investigation is ongoing with the possibility of additional persons being charged,” said police.
Police have not yet identified the name of the first suspect, or what charges they may face, if any.
A fundraiser started by Scott Church on the website GoFundMe has already raised more than $5,000 for the women, exceeding the fundraiser’s initial goal.
“These women are loved by the community and all of the patrons at Our Bar,” said Church on the fundraiser page. “They deserve better and it’s time to show them how much we care.”
The three bartenders who were attacked, Pita Cook, Ellie Bass, and a third bartender who LebTown is not identifying at this time, were escorting Berrios-Hernandez, who had become unruly and abusive, out of the bar when he turned and attacked them, striking the third bartender in the face.
Speaking at the Downtown Lounge on Friday afternoon, Cook and Bass told LebTown that the other bartender suffered bi-lateral jaw fractures and was expected to undergo surgery. Cook and Bass were not seriously injured.
Cook and Bass said the two men entered the bar after visiting a tenant in an upstairs apartment.
Church’s social media posts had gone viral earlier Friday as he sought to draw attention to the assault.
“Violence against women is completely unacceptable,” said Church. “There is no justification that can make this ok.”
Anyone with information on the assault or Berrios-Hernandez’s whereabouts is asked to contact Lebanon police at (717) 272-6611 or submit a tip through the department’s Crimewatch website.
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