A south suburban man charged with threatening to harm investigators in the death of Fox Lake police Lt. Joe Gliniewicz unless they ruled his death a suicide has been released on bond.
Joseph A. Battaglia, 54, was released Tuesday afternoon, according to Lake County sheriff’s office spokesman Det. Chris Covelli.
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 Lake County Coroner Thomas Rudd, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.
Detectives tracked the call to Battaglia, of the 5600 block of West 103rd Street in Oak Lawn, Covelli said. Sheriff’s police said he is a retired Chicago Police officer.
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 a $100,000 bond Sunday. After the judge denied a bond reduction request earlier Tuesday, the bail was posted on Tuesday afternoon, though Covelli did not know who posted it.
As a condition of bond, Battaglia was required to surrender his FOID card and any guns he owned, Covelli said.
Battaglia is next due back in court Sept. 15.
Detectives are still going through his phone records, and additional charges are possible, police said.
