Nov 18, 2024
BURRILLVILLE, R.I. (WPRI) — The Burrillville Town Council has decided not to renew the owner of "The Conjuring" house's entertainment license, effectively preventing her from hosting tours and overnight visits for the foreseeable future. Jacqueline Nuñez bought the Round Top Road home, which has become a nationwide attraction thanks to "The Conjuring" franchise, two years ago for roughly $1.5 million. She has been doing business under the name Bale Fire, LLC, and secured a 24-hour entertainment license back when she first bought the nearly 300-year-old farmhouse. The Burrillville Town Council quickly and unanimously voted to deny renewing that license Monday evening, citing concerns regarding Nuñez's strained relationship with her neighbors, former employees and the police department as a whole. TARGET 12: ‘The Conjuring’ house owner fires employee, citing accusations from the beyond Burrillville Police Chief Stephen Lynch, who rejected Nuñez's initial renewal application, noted that her "erratic behavior" has been worrisome. "I haven't seen any signs of there being a path to get past that," Lynch told the Burrillville Town Council. Nuñez is allowed to continue operating under her current entertainment license through the end of the month, which is when it is slated to officially expire. The Burrillville Town Council said she will be allowed to submit her application again next year, though it's unclear if she will. 12 News reached out to Nuñez regarding the Burrillville Town Council's decision but has not yet heard back. Don Sullivan, who's lived across the street for the past five years, said his family is pleased with the Burrillville Town Council's decision. Sullivan said the property has always been a serious safety concern, especially with Nuñez's guests showing up at all hours of the night. "I think 'The Conjuring' house in its current situation has run it's course," he said. "The fact that she's trying to take advantage of the spirits for financial gain ... I just don't think that's something that you should try to cash in on. I think it's disrespectful." Jason Hawes, the star of the hit TV show "Ghost Hunters," was there as the Burrillville Town Council swiftly rejected Nuñez's license renewal. Hawes, who claims Nuñez has been harassing him with false accusations for months, described the decision not to renew her license as being a "great" one. "My biggest concern has always been the people going there and their safety," Hawes explained. Hawes added that Nuñez has continued to send threatening messages not only to him, but also to his daughter Satori Hawes and her fiancé Cody DesBiens. Satori Hawes and DesBiens, who both used to work for Nuñez, have accused her of withholding an insurance payout from the barn next to "The Conjuring" house, which was filled with their possessions, caught fire. Jason Hawes said his family has a no-contact order against Nuñez, which he claims she continues to violate by sending these messages. RELATED: ‘The Conjuring’ house owner under scrutiny as more former employees come forward Nuñez previously told 12 News she believes everyone is "determined" to bring her and "The Conjuring" house down. But Jason Hawes said that couldn't be further from the truth. "I want nothing to do 'The Conjuring' house," Jason Hawes said. "I think the damage has already been done to that property." "We've always wished her the best and have wanted her to seek some sort of help," he continued. "But she's chosen to go down a different path and this is where we've wound up." Satori Hawes believes the house will be shut down once the entertainment license officially expires. But after that, she's not sure what's next for the popular haunt. "It's really sad," she said. "But if we have to choose between it not operating and everybody being safe, and it operating and there being a danger, we would choose the safety of everyone over the operation of the house." Nuñez has been under intense scrutiny in recent months. It all started back in August, when a former employee claimed he was fired after she accused him of stealing money. SEE ALSO: Bodycam footage shows ‘The Conjuring’ house owner’s arrest Brian Dansereau said Nuñez told him the spirit of John Arnold — who owned the home with his wife Abigail in the 1800s — is the one who warned her of the supposed theft. "She said, 'John Arnold told me you’ve been stealing money out of the cash box for the past two months,'" Dansereau said. "I literally stopped and I had to correct her like, 'John Arnold, one of the original owners?'" Dansereau, a former paramedic, denied the theft and filed a complaint with the R.I. Department of Labor and Training (DLT) for unpaid wages, estimating that Nuñez owes him $9,000 for uncompensated work. Nuñez confirmed back then that she fired Dansereau based on what spirits had told her, but noted that her books backed it up and showed discrepancies between merchandise orders and cash sales. In regards to Dansereau's complaint, the DLT told 12 News last week that the matter is still under review "and will be for some time." The 61-year-old was also charged with driving under the influence last month following a police pursuit through town. Her driver's license has since been suspended. Nuñez has argued that she wasn’t drunk and didn't pull over right away because she was terrified of what the officers would do to her. Her next court date is slated for December. Close Thanks for signing up! 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