Two accused of threatening crime victim

• By SONIA SMITH
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Jun 18, 2009 - Page: 1B

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A father and son from Metairie allegedly broke into a Baton Rouge home this weekend and threatened to kill an attempted rape victim unless she dropped her case against one of the men, authorities said Wednesday.

Thomas Patrick Ristick, 45, and Sam Mitchell, 27, were arrested by East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff’s deputies Monday and are being held in Parish Prison in lieu of a $500,000 bond, booking records show.

Ristick attempted to rape the woman in Jefferson Parish, an affidavit of probable cause says.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and Sgt. Larry Dyess, a spokesman for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, declined Wednesday to release any information on the incident, including the date it occurred.

The men discovered the victim of the attempted rape and a witness to the incident were living in the Millerville area in Baton Rouge and went to their home at 3:45 a.m. Saturday, an affidavit says.

With the help of three unidentified men, Ristick and Mitchell kicked down the door of the house, the affidavit says.

Ristick, holding a black handgun, grabbed the woman who witnessed the rape attempt, threw her to the ground and threatened to kill her unless the charges were dropped, the affidavit says.

He then hit the woman on the head with the gun, the affidavit says.

Mitchell chased the victim of the attempted rape into the living room and held a gun to her head as he threatened to kill her and her family if she did not drop the charges against Ristick, an affidavit says.

Mitchell then pushed the woman’s head to the floor and fired the handgun into the wall, the affidavit says.

Mitchell, Ristick and the three other men then left the house, an affidavit says.

Mitchell was booked into Parish Prison on one count each of aggravated burglary, aggravated battery, simple criminal damage to property, aggravated assault with a firearm and illegal use of a weapon, booking documents show.

Ristick was booked into Parish Prison on one count each of aggravated burglary, simple criminal damage to property, aggravated assault with a firearm and felon in possession of a firearm, booking documents show.