By Sophia Voravong

Between July 10, 2005, and April 30, 2008, West Lafayette police responded to nearly 700 calls for service at the Neon Cactus in the Levee.

Records of those calls -- which include reports of public intoxication, fights, medical problems and criminal mischief -- were included in a public nuisance claim that former Lafayette residents David Osadchuk and his wife, Amy, recently filed against the bar.

"It appears that the owners of the bar have known for a long time about the problems caused by the Cactus and its patrons, but have chosen to ignore those problems because they are making too much money," the Osadchuks' attorney, Charlie Rice of South Bend, said in an e-mail. "A classic case of profits over people."

David Osadchuk was seriously injured in July 2007 when his car was rear-ended by a sport utility vehicle driven by Juventino Jose Castillo, 24, on Indiana 38 East and thrown into a ditch.

Castillo, who was sentenced earlier this year to eight years in prison, admitted in court to consuming numerous alcoholic beverages at the Neon Cactus prior to the wreck. He had a blood-alcohol content of 0.18 percent, more than double Indiana's legal limit of 0.08 percent, and had traces of marijuana in his system.

The Osadchuks in January filed a civil complaint in Tippecanoe Superior Court 1 against Castillo and Macaw Enterprises, which operates the Neon Cactus.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages to help with hundreds of thousand of dollars the family has accrued in medical bills.

Osadchuk said the recent public nuisance claim was added after he requested information from the West Lafayette Police Department about calls, reports, arrests and other disturbances at the Neon Cactus.

Shiela Cochran, who owns the Neon Cactus with her husband, James, declined to comment on the lawsuit and public nuisance claim when contacted Wednesday.

Rice, the attorney, said he also forwarded information about the bar's police calls to the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission.

Police Chief Jason Dombkowski said the report was compiled by pulling all calls for service at the Neon Cactus during the dates Rice requested. The report eliminated calls from neighboring businesses and the Levee area.

"Those could have been calls from management, patrons or an officer who witnessed an incident," Dombkowski said. "Most of the calls there come from management requesting our assistance.

"I do think that the Neon Cactus is well-staffed and has worked well with us over the years."