Authorities investigate multiple drugging reports at Healdsburg bar

Here’s how staff is responding and what and you can do to protect yourself

The Healdsburg Police Department confirmed it has been investigating multiple incidents of alleged spiked drinks at a local bar, Duke’s Spirited Cocktails.

As The Press Democrat reported last week, Duke’s posted on social media it was cooperating with police after a woman wrote on Facebook about her experience in early April, catching the attention of Vice Mayor Ariel Kelley and a number of comments reporting first and secondhand accounts of similar experiences.

Over roughly the past year, “there have been seven incidents where people believe they might have been drugged or consumed altered drinks,” Healdsburg Officer Nicholas Doherty told me Monday. Reports have come from both men and women.

While no sexual assault has been reported in these cases and no tests have come back positive for rohypnol, ketamine or GHB (some of the most common date rape drugs) to date, the investigation is ongoing, and the local police have communicated with the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) which is likely to investigate as well, Doherty said.

(Members of the public can file complaints with ABC at abc.ca.gov/contact/file-complaint).

With this latest incident, a review of video footage could not determine if the drink was tampered with, Doherty tells me, noting that Duke’s has been very responsive and cooperative and “seems to be taking it pretty seriously.”

A strong social media reaction has demanded transparency and accountability from Duke’s. Some have noted the bar’s removal of comments while others have come to the staff’s defense.

Arron Flores, general manager at Duke’s Spirited Cocktails, said staff had previously heard some rumors about spiked drinks but received no direct reports. After this alleged incident garnered attention on Facebook, Duke’s reached out to the police, Flores tells me, adding they’d also previously hired additional security and updated the surveillance system.

Flores acknowledges that some comments were deleted when the social media response initially blew up.

“We took a step back, and we got together” he told me, noting staff changed course, opening comments back up and responding to direct messages. “Next step now is to take preventive measures.”

Duke’s is partnering with a local sexual assault response nonprofit that works in Napa and Solano counties, SANE/SART, to train the bar staff and determine what resources, like QR codes in the bathroom, could be incorporated to provide customers with resources. The staff has a training with the SAFE Bar Network, an organization that helps bars create safe cultures, early next week.

How to stay safe

Especially as the world starts opening up and people are excited to get back out again, it’s important to be vigilant and remember best practices, says Christine Castillo, executive director of Verity, a Sonoma County sexual assault crisis and support center.

Always watch your drink (bring it with you to the bathroom, and keep your hand over it if you’re turned away). If you accept a drink from someone, watch the bartender make it and take it directly from the bar. In general, take small sips at the start of a new drink and pay attention if it looks or tastes off.

Whenever possible, go out with trusted friends. “That's a really important piece,” Castillo tells me.

If you feel “off” or a friend seems so, some of the most common symptoms to look out for include feeling or acting intoxicated in a way that is out of line with what’s been consumed, nausea, memory loss, sudden drowsiness, confusion or disorientation, difficulty breathing, and sensitivity to light.

If you might have been drugged, experts advise seeking medical care even if you don’t suspect sexual assault.

Though medical attention is especially important in such cases, remember that any drugging itself is an assault. The sooner you can get checked out the better since these drugs can move through the system quickly and be hard to detect. (With that in mind, a negative test doesn’t invalidate your experience.)

Importantly, going to medical professionals doesn’t mean having to take legal recourse though it’s recommended if you feel safe to do so. In case you do later decide to go to authorities, it’s best to have as much evidence as possible.

Most importantly, Castillo urges anyone who suspects or is unsure they might have been drugged to call Verity’s confidential crisis hotline at 707-545-7273.

“They'll be given a counselor to talk to, and they can be anonymous,” Castillo tells me. “They'll get some support and some guidance. We don't tell them what to do. We give them the list of the options.” Verity can provide details on law enforcement reporting (which can even be done anonymously) and the sexual assault exam process or just provide psychological and emotional support and resources.

“It’s traumatic because now you have to second-guess everything,” Castillo says, noting that Verity has weekly Zoom survivor drop-in support groups. (Information is available at ourverity.org/support-groups.)

The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, too, has a hotline at 800-656-4673 (or an all-hours chat at online.rainn.org) that can help inquirers process what might have happened and connect them to local health providers trained in survivor care and other longer-term support services and resource centers like Verity.

Castillo notes how important it is for restaurant and bars, too, to engage in protective measures for employees and patrons, through trainings and posted resources.

Late last year, West Hollywood became the first city in California to mandate bystander intervention training for businesses serving alcohol to help identify and prevent drug-facilitated sexual assaults and date rape drugs.

A wave of drugging reports at different bars in Sonoma County several years ago led Verity to do an intensive awareness campaign and educational training for establishment owners, Castillo says. Just like at Duke’s, people speaking out brought the issue to light.

“It takes that first person to take that really courageous step to start talking and make this public,” Castillo tells me. “Once a person takes that first initial step, more people come forward and talk about it.”

Don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any information you’d like to share about incidents at Duke’s Spirited Cocktails or other establishments.

“In Your Corner” is a new column that puts watchdog reporting to work for the community. If you have a concern, a tip, or a hunch, you can reach “In Your Corner” Columnist Marisa Endicott at 707-521-5470 or marisa.endicott@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @InYourCornerTPD and Facebook @InYourCornerTPD.