Dunbarton Man Goes Crazy at McDonald’s: Report

A local man is facing a slew of charges after allegedly assaulting a man at McDonald’s and then fleeing the scene. Mark E. Rettig, 29, of Dunbarton, was arrested at 1 a.m. on Feb. 11, 2014, and charged with criminal trespass, criminal mischief (vandalism), simple assault (personal weapons), disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest and detention.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Concord Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the name removal request process for NH Patch police reports.

An officer was called to the McDonald’s Restaurant on South Main Street for a report of an assault. A description of the man involved was released with the allegation that the man had attacked a customer and fled on West Street. The officer checked West Street and then Downing Street and ran into a man, later identified as Rettig, in front of a Hutchinson Street house.

“Rettig appeared to be unsteady on his feet, staggering to maintain his balance,” the officer alleged. “Rettig was slurring his speech and his eyes were blood shot and glassy with droopy eyelids.”

The officer asked Rettig how much he had to drink and he allegedly stated, “a few beers.” Rettig reportedly said he was coming from McDonald’s and allegedly became “angry and hostile” when the officer asked about the assault at the restaurant. Rettig reportedly later made derogatory slurs about the sexual orientation of a man allegedly claiming he “was staring at me while I was eating so I punched him.” Another officer arrived at the scene and Rettig allegedly began calling them derogatory names and reportedly asked if they were homosexual.

“Rettig continued to use profane language and homophobic slurs through the duration of my contact with me,” the officer alleged in a court affidavit.

Rettig was taken into protective custody due to his alleged impairment and as they were searching him, Rettig allegedly “aggressively pushed his body back towards me and attempted to remove his hands from my grasp. The officer alleged that he continued to “thrash about” and when pushed against a cruiser in an attempt to gain control of him, “Rettig raised his legs quickly and violently towards the patrol car,” denting the car.

After a brief struggle, they were able to get him into the cruiser.

The other officer spoke with the store manager who stated that Rettig entered the store and ordered food but then reportedly began “saying inappropriate things” and allegedly tried to steal some cookies from behind the counter. When asked to leave, Rettig reportedly ignored the request and allegedly began yelling homophobic slurs at two customers in the restaurant. The men moved but Rettig allegedly followed and assaulted one of them, “striking him several times.”

The men also gave the officer information about the assault.

They alleged that Rettig called one of them an “idiot” and other insults. As they moved away, Rettig allegedly followed and then threw food at them. Later, Rettig allegedly punched one of the men a few times in the head with a closed fist, knocking him to the ground and then, kicking him while on the ground.

Rettig was held without bail and arraigned the next day.

Rettig, according to online reports, is no stranger to police.

About a week before the McDonald's incident, he was taken into protective custody by the New Hampshire State Police while on Route 13 in Dunbarton.

In March 2010, according to the Concord Monitor, Rettig was arrested on a drug charge in Weare after a raid on Clough Park Road. Five others were arrested that night with one getting hit with a Taser.