HARRISBURG— An Eldorado man has been charged after a fight broke out at Morello’s restaurant in downtown Harrisburg.
Local bars have either been temporarily shut down, as in the case of Poor Boys, or rumored closed, as in the case of Shagwell’s, because of fights breaking out.
In the past there has been little or no reports of fights breaking out in local restaurants—until now.
Authorities say that Jonah M. Carter, 32, of 2113 Saline Ave., Eldorado, has been charged with one count of Aggravated Battery.
Witnesses say that on January 6, at approximately 9:30 p.m. Carter was at a table with Brenton Reed, 27, Amanda Satterfield, 18, Shayla Weirauch, 25, and Josh Walker, 32.
“We were all having a good time,” Satterfield said. “Brenton and Jonah were joking around.”
“I was sitting across the table eating,” Reed said. “At first we were all talking and then all a sudden Jonah started yelling and appeared to pull a knife under the table so I stood up.”
Satterfield is said to have looked under the table and saw a black folding knife opened.
“The blade was on Ms. Satterfield’s leg,” said responding officer Zach Popetz. “Mr. Carter and Mr. Reed both stood up.”
And that’s when everybody agrees Carter punched Reed in the face with a closed fist.
“Jonah punched him in the face,” Satterfield said.
“He punched me with a closed fist and took off running out of the restaurant,” Reed said.
“I was cleaning tables,” said 21-year-old Vanessa Gooch. “I saw a customer hit another customer… and got my manager.”
Officer Popetz said that after photographing Reed’s face, Reed told him that Carter had left his cellular phone behind.
And that’s about the time the phone rang.
Popetz answered it, identified himself and asked who he was talking to.
The male voice said he was Carter’s cousin and that Carter was in Eldorado passed out so Popetz hung up.
The phone rang again and Reed answered then handed him the phone.
This time the male voice said he was Jonah Carter.
When Popetz asked if he could meet with him face-to-face Carter said he would meet him at Poor Boys.
Carter never showed.
He was later taken into custody in Eldorado and charged with one count of Aggravated Battery.
He was released from custody Jan. 14 after a $1,000 cash bond was posted.