‘Have you ever been lit on fire?’ Man guilty of threatening to kill SLO County bartender
A jury found an Atascadero man guilty of threatening to kill a Los Osos bartender Thursday, according to court documents.
Kellen John Clarke, 59, is alleged to have threatened a bartender at Sweet Springs Saloon in Los Osos in December 2021.
The bartender had asked Clarke to leave the bar after Clarke caused problems with other patrons, and Clarke left through the rear door. The bartender stayed near the door after he left to make sure Clarke didn’t try to return.
But Clarke returned to the bar shortly after, claiming he forgot his phone and needed to be let back in.
The bartender would not let Clarke back in but offered to look for Clarke’s phone for him.
Clarke then became confrontational, court documents say. He walked away after the bartender threatened to call the police, only to return with a red plastic gas can.
Clarke allegedly told the bartender, “Have you ever been lit on fire? Because I’m going to come back here and light you and this bar on fire.”
Court documents say the bartender called 911, and he and his coworker watched Clarke fill up the gas can with fuel.
San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s deputies arrived as Clarke was walking back to the bar with a half-full gas can and subsequently took him into custody.
After a few days of trial, the jury unanimously convicted Clarke of threatening to commit a crime that would result in death or great bodily injury. He was on probation at the time for a previous DUI, and was not supposed to be in a bar per the conditions of his release, San Luis Obispo Chief Deputy District Attorney Jerret Gran told the Tribune.
Clarke could face a maximum sentence of three years in jail or state prison, with the possibility of additional time for violating probation.
Clarke’s sentencing is scheduled for April 4 in the San Luis Obispo Superior Court.
This story was originally published March 17, 2022 at 1:27 PM.
