Oak Lawn man charged with threatening Fox Lake investigators

A south suburban man has been charged with threatening to harm investigators in the death of Fox Lake police Lt. Joe Gliniewicz unless they ruled his death a suicide.

Someone called the Lake County coroner’s office with a blocked telephone number about 2 p.m. Friday claiming to be a retired police officer who would harm all members of the Gliniewicz investigation, including coroner Thomas Rudd, according to a statement from Lake County sheriff’s office spokesman Detective Chris Covelli.

Detectives tracked the call to 54-year-old Joseph A. Battaglia, of the 5600 block of West 103rd Street in Oak Lawn, Covelli said. Sheriff’s police said the man is a retired Chicago Police officer, though CPD News Affairs could not immediately confirm that.

Battaglia, who had no involvement with the investigation, had called other police departments and media outlets earlier in the week, Covelli said.

He was arrested Saturday at his home and charged with two felony counts of disorderly conduct, police said. A judge ordered him held on $100,000 bail on Sunday, and he is due back in court Sept. 15.

Detectives are still going through his phone records, and additional charges are possible, police said.