Two men charged in assault at CT bar involving masked assailant armed with baseball bat

Yahoo

25-03-2025

Two alleged members of a motorcycle gang have been accused of assaulting multiple people in a bar in Litchfield last fall — including one person who suffered a brain injury after being hit with a baseball bat — during an incident that appeared to stem from a dispute over a bar tab.
Anthony Sidoti, 30, of Southington and Louis Williamson, 49, of Bethlehem turned themselves in last Thursday at Troop L in Litchfield, according to Connecticut State Police. Troopers had warrants for both men in connection with an incident in November 2024 at a bar on Bantam Road where multiple people suffered serious injuries, state police said.
Sidoti faces charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree burglary, second-degree breach of peace, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, conspiracy to commit second-degree assault, second-degree threatening and first-degree reckless endangerment.
Williamson has been charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree burglary, first-degree burglary, sixth-degree larceny, second-degree breach of peace, first-degree assault, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, conspiracy to commit second-degree assault, second-degree assault, second-degree threatening and first-degree reckless endangerment.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Sidoti and Williamson visited a bar around 1 a.m. with two females on Nov. 23, 2024. Witnesses claimed that they were both wearing sweatshirts that indicated they were part of the Outlaw Motorcycle Club, which troopers described as a gang. Shortly after arriving, one of the men allegedly offered to buy shots for two people who were at the bar. One of the patrons claimed that he did not know the men and that their only interaction prior to the shots was a mutual nod to each other, the warrant affidavit said.
Sidoti, Williamson and their companions got up to leave around 1:45 a.m. and one of them allegedly told the bartender the two men who shared shots with them earlier would pay their tab, according to the warrant affidavit. Knowing that they had offered to buy the shots for the men at the bar earlier, one of the bartenders questioned the situation and told Sidoti and Williamson that they would have to pay their tab, the warrant affidavit said.
This led to a scuffle breaking out in which one of the two men allegedly took a swing at someone, witnesses told state police. The bartenders and other patrons were able to settle things down before another fight allegedly broke out moments later. A patron at the bar claimed that he was punched twice by one of the Outlaws, according to the warrant affidavit. Witnesses alleged that it took about 10 people to force the men out of the bar.
Staff at the bar said they went about their business and were cleaning up for the night sometime between 2:30 and 2:45 a.m. when a man in a ski mask allegedly suddenly stormed into the bar through the backdoor with an aluminum baseball bat, according to the warrant affidavit. Multiple witnesses said they believed the man was one of the two Outlaws who visited the bar earlier.
The masked man allegedly struck a man with the bat multiple times in the face and upper body, leaving him unconscious, the warrant affidavit said. Two people said they were able to grab a hold of the bat and prevent it from being swung anymore.
They held onto the bat and forced the man outside where they claimed that a second man wearing a ski mask threatened to beat them if they did not let go of the bat, according to the warrant affidavit. The pair said they let go and ran back into the bar, where the door was locked and someone called 911.
The man who was hit by the bat was taken to an area hospital where he was diagnosed with a brain bleed and a fractured skull, the warrant affidavit said. The traumatic brain injury made it difficult for the man to form words and sentences.
By February, the victim said he was still suffering from cognitive issues when he read and had a condition that left him with ringing in his ears, according to the warrant affidavit.
Another victim told state police he suffered cracked teeth during the incident.
Detectives with the Western District Major Crime Squad investigated the incident. After reviewing video surveillance, they were able to identify Sidoti and Williamson as the men allegedly involved in multiple scuffles surrounding the bar tab dispute, the warrant affidavit said.
Detectives obtained a number of search and seizure warrants during the investigation to search Williamson's home and business — which are each reportedly about 15 to 20 minutes away from the bar — as well as their cell phone data, according to the warrant affidavit. State police found that the location data on Sidoti's phone was consistent with being powered down shortly before 2 a.m. and powered back up just before 3 a.m., the warrant affidavit said.
Williamson's phone appeared to be at his home during the incident, state police wrote.
During the investigation, troopers conferred with members of the Waterbury Police Department's Gang Task Force and were told that multiple investigations involving Outlaw members involved suspects whose cell phones were allegedly 'stationary' with no activity in an area 'away from the scene of the crime,' according to the warrant affidavit. Investigators noted in the warrant that individuals who plan crimes ahead of time often try to eliminate their digital footprint by leaving their phone at home or powering it down during the crime.
State police said they found that both Sidoti and Williamson had a history of arrests involving assaults and breach of peace charges, according to the warrant affidavit.
Sidoti is free on $20,000 bond and is expected to appear in Torrington Superior Court on April 3. Williamson posted $75,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court the same day.