DJ sues Mermaid supper club over assault by drunken wedding guest

It was supposed to be a joyous wedding celebration. But when the DJ did not immediately play a request from the groom's nephew, things turned violent.

That was Oct. 30, 2010. On Thursday, disc jockey John Wirtz sued the Mermaid supper club in Mounds View and its parent company, Moundsvista Inc., along with assailant Nick Villarreal, alleging Villarreal was served liquor at the wedding reception after he was already "obviously" drunk.

That violates state law.

Villarreal, 26, of Lake Elmo pleaded guilty in June in Ramsey County District Court to third-degree assault and was sentenced to 45 days in jail.

The lawsuit, filed in Ramsey County District Court, alleges that Wirtz's injuries were a direct result of Villarreal's intoxication. It also alleges that the Mermaid "failed to take appropriate steps to safeguard (Wirtz) and remove (Villarreal) from the premises."

The attorney for the Mermaid did not return a call seeking comment late Thursday. A working number for Villarreal could not be obtained.

Wirtz, 46, incurred losses from his injuries of more than $50,000, the suit says.

The lawsuit does not describe the disagreement between the two men.

But the criminal complaint charging Villarreal with assault said Villarreal asked Wirtz to play some Latin music for his grandmother.

Wirtz said he would do so after he took care of other requests.

After some time, Villarreal returned to complain about the delay.

Wirtz told police that Villarreal

grabbed him, "punched him in the face from behind, pulled his head back and then hit him a number of times in the face," the complaint said. Other wedding guests stopped the assault.

By the time police arrived, Villarreal had been escorted out by relatives and friends, the complaint said.

Initially, officers did not know who assaulted Wirtz. Relatives refused to tell police his last name or where he could be found.

According to medical records, Wirtz had a broken eye socket and required 11 stitches in his face.

Villarreal told police the next month that he had arrived at the reception late and had noticed his grandmother was on the verge of tears; she said the DJ would not play Mexican music, even though she had asked him to earlier.

Emily Gurnon can be reached at 651-228-5522.

Source: http://www.twincities.com/news/ci_19641390?source=rss

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