EDWARDSBURG — Five dancers and a manager at an adult entertainment club in Cass County are behind bars. This isn’t the first time police have heard about trouble at the club. They've been called to the Escape Reality strip club on Pleasant Lake in Edwardsburg dozens of times over the past several years.

For Shawna Mondich and Nancy Cronin, the club represents years of frustration.

“It’s called Pleasant Lake and it’s very pleasant. Very pleasant, except for that scar we have over there,” said Mondich.

“We’ve had break-ins into our home while we’re sitting in the front room,” said Cronin. “My husband got beat up.”

Cronin said Escape Reality has been very dangerous for everyone in the neighborhood.

What’s more, a public beach sits right next to the club.

“From what I understand, strip bars are magnets for sex offenders. So we have a magnet for sex offenders adjacent to a public beach where the children come to swim,” Mondich told WSBT. “And late in the summer when it's light late, the children come to swim when the strip bar is open.”

Both women said they weren’t surprised to hear what police found there during nine visits over the course of a two-month investigation — everything from prostitution and lewd, lascivious conduct to delivery of cocaine and ecstasy.

The Cass County prosecutor told WSBT undercover police officers witnessed illegal activity during each of the nine visits.

People living near the strip club say it’s about time something happened.

“Today I’m so happy, I can’t be frustrated, because I know something’s gonna be done now,” Cronin said.

And neighbors aren’t the only ones who want it shut down. Cass County Police Capt. Lyndon Parrish said if it were up to his department, there wouldn’t be a strip club in Edwardsburg.

“It’s been shown by this, and throughout the nation, that strip clubs bring in an undesirable element of illegal activity, and that’s clearly been shown by this right here,” Parrish said.

He also noted about 15 dancers were working at the club during Wednesday night’s arrest.

Dancers Arrested

Lauren Coombs, 19 — St. Joseph, Mich.
Erin Dickerson, 23 — Sturgis, Mich.
Melissa Goodman, 24 — Elkhart
Vicki McClain, 18 — Bristol
Katie McCreary, 22 — Mishawaka

Manager Arrested

Brent Hanson, 48 — Elkhart

McCreary is facing misdemeanor prostitution charges. The other five arrested are facing multiple charges from prostitution to felony drug charges.

Police say it’s possible they’ll make more arrests from the investigation.