TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Police have arrested two of four people allegedly involved in the trashing of a diner in Taichung early Tuesday (Sept. 7) after they were denied indoor service.
Police said that seven people in two cars arrived at a well-known braised pork rice eatery on Hankou Road in the city’s North District a 1:24 a.m. on Tuesday, CNA reported. One suspect got out and sounded drunk when he asked whether they could dine in and if the restaurant sold chicken nuggets or plastic bags.
According to police, the diner’s manager, surnamed Chiu (邱), said the potential patron was not wearing a mask, so she told him there was no indoor dining, nor did they sell nuggets. The man then walked out of the restaurant.
Three other men then got out of the car, entered the diner, and started flipping over tables and a stall, causing a big pot of braised pork to spill. The suspects fled the scene and drove to Hsinchu, CNA reported, citing the police.
Using surveillance camera footage, police were able to identify the two vehicles. Authorities tracked down two of the suspects in Baoshan Township, Hsinchu County.
The two suspects said they lived in Hsinchu and were visiting friends in Taichung. They told authorities they got upset after being denied service, so they trashed the place.
The diner said it would not press charges; however, police will refer the two suspects to the Taichung District Prosecutors Office on suspicion of having committed offenses of interference with public order. Police said they are continuing to look for the other two suspects.
The suspects will also be referred to the city’s health bureau for punishment for not wearing masks, a violation of the Communicable Disease Control Act, per CNA.