3 men charged in connection with armed disturbance in Sequoit Creek Park in Antioch

Three men face charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in connection with a disturbance Saturday night in which one person was assaulted and another threatened with a knife at Sequoit Creek Park in Antioch.

An Antioch police officer monitoring surveillance cameras at the park at 845 Main St. about 9 p.m. saw several individuals get out of a vehicle and begin chasing another person through the park, police said in a news release.

Two of the people involved were armed with large fixed-blade knives, police said.

Withing minutes, three men were arrested without further escalation of the situation, police said.

According to police, witnesses said several individuals involved were armed with knives when they arrived at the park.

One person was chased through the park before being physically assaulted, police said.

One of the suspects reportedly held a knife to another person’s throat and threatened to kill them, according to the release.

Police Chief Geoffrey Guttschow said this was a targeted incident involving known individuals and not a random attack on park patrons.

Nicholas Pluta, 21, of Trevor, Wisconsin; Mitchell Alcock, 20, of Volo; and, Brian Marciniak of North Chicago were charged with two counts each of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

The case is under review and additional charges may be filed. Besides the felony charges, the three men received 11 citations related to their involvement, police said.

Antioch police recognized the actions of Per Mar Security officers who were working at the time and attempted to intervene and protect park patrons until one of the armed men threatened them with a knife, the release said.

“This incident had the potential to end in tragedy,” Antioch Police Chief Geoffrey Guttschow said in the release. “The security officers on scene, the officer monitoring the village’s camera system, and the responding Antioch police officers all acted immediately, and their collaborative response helped prevent a tragic outcome.”

The village recently approved a contract with Per Mar for daily patrols around the park to enhance public safety. Antioch police and community service officers regularly patrol village parks on foot and in vehicles.